Heavenly Sins: The 150th Hunger Games
by LordShiro
Summary: "For the 150th Hunger Games, we will weigh the good and the bad for better and for worse. We will put your worst sins and your best virtues to the test and If you manage to take control of the uncontrollable, you will come out as the sole survivor. Ladies and gentlemen, let the 6th Quarter Quell begin!" - SYOT CLOSED -
1. Prologue I: Tainted Sins

**Prologue I**

 **Euterpe Avantius, Head Gamemaker**

* * *

5 months before the reapings:

Euterpe balances a pencil on her finger as she swings her head back and forth with her eyes closed. She has no clue what to do. The Hunger Games have been going on for about 150 years now. Every time she thinks about that number her entire body shivers. People have expectations. They want something amazing this year to celebrate the 7th Quarter Quell and Euterpe can't seem to think of anything. How she hates this constant state of agony that she has been in for the past two weeks now. Her whole career she has had to impress people over and over again. It is so easy to judge her just because of her age and because of the way she looks with her two pink pigtails swaying back and forth and her rather short stature, however, once people start to fathom that she's actually amazing at what she does, which is making people's lives a living hell in the arena, they ask for her help again and again and again. She has been Head Gamemaker for 3 glorious years now and she's been the youngest Gamemaker ever in over 40 years. Every Game she had created so far was just as memorable and amazing as the other.

The 147th Games, where Euterpe created a tower which the tributes had to keep ascending because otherwise, they would be annihilated by the pool of acid that kept rising higher and higher, was so much fun to design. It was a unique twist which skyrocketed her career.

The 148th Games, where she designed an arena made of floating islands, interconnected through bridges which the tributes could cross to get to the adjacent Islands, was also a blast. It was fun watching the tributes get lost in the maze of Islands and struggle to find their way around.

The 149th Games, where she took inspiration from the mines of District 12. It was an arena made of dark tunnels and passages. It was the most brutal arena she had created during her 3 years. The arena was rather small but also extremely confusing and the tributes only had pickaxes and shovels to kill each other with. It was a lot of fun as always

"Hey, Zephyr! Got any Ideas, my friend? "Euterpe calls over to her Assistant Gamemaker. Zephyr had been working here in the office before Euterpe stepped up as Head Gamemaker. He's an amazing designer and created some of the most fascinating and deadly creatures for the Games. He's also really great at coming up with twists. Well, usually.

"Hey, Euterpe! Guess what? No, I haven't had a sudden breakthrough and yes, I'm just as stuck like you, so how about you let me focus and stop annoying me "He shouts at her. Euterpe hates it when Zephyr acts like that. He's always been jealous of her and her position.

"Aww, you still mad because I'm young and successful and you're what? 60-years-old and still Assistant Gamemaker?" She laughs.

Zephyr rolls his eyes as Charmain Vox, Master of Ceremonies, walks in.

"You guys been having any luck?" she asks. Silence. "Ok, I'll take that as a no."

Zephyr aggressively shuffles some papers together and makes his way out of the room.

"I can't stand her, you know? Never have I ever had to work with a Head Gamemaker as immature and juvenile as her. If you were to put all the sins in Panem together, it would create her.

"Your lucky Euterpe is as nice as she is, you never spoke that way to the other Head Gamemakers because you knew that they would have fired you immediately. Just be careful and be grateful is what I'm trying to say." Charma whispers to him.

"Yeah, yeah whatever you say. I just don't understand how she ends up being Head Gamemaker and I'm still stuck down here as Assistant Gamemaker."

Normally Euterpe would make a snarky comment or taunt him even more but she might have just come up with an Idea for this year's twist. A smile forms on her lips as she looks up at Charmain and Zephyr.

"Thank you, Zephyr. You might have just given me an Idea." She says. Euterpe goes to her desk and picks up the phone.

"Ok, listen up. I need people, a lot of people. Our best spies. I need them to be divided equally in all 12 Districts, I want them to dig up as much dirt on these people living there as possible. I want to know everything from their deepest and darkest secrets to what they ate this morning. Got it? I'll send you the list of what I'm looking for in the next couple of hours… Ok, got it. Thank you so much!"

"Zephyr, I fucking love you!" she screams. Zephyr's face reddens.

"I don't understand… what just happened?" Charmain asks confused.

"Remember when Zephyr said that if all the sins in Panem came together they would create me? Well, ladies and gentlemen, what if every tribute this year represented a different sin. Wouldn't that be fun? We would have so many different complex personalities coming together and it would be… I dunno, like a battle of the sins? Or something cool like that!"

Zephyr and Charmain look at Euterpe with a hint of confusion and amazement.

"Wait…" Zephyr mumbles as he gestures at the chalk. "I have an even better Idea, Euterpe pass me the chalk real quick". Zephyr walks up to a big black board where they present their Ideas. They're old-school that way. How about if instead of making them all have bad traits, we make it… half-half? Like from each District we have someone representing a sin and another one representing a virtue. I think that would make it even more interesting." Zephyr says with a hint of pride.

"Zephyr, you're a genius. I wonder why they didn't make you Head Gamemaker."Euterpe says with her tongue sticking out.

"I hate you so much." Zephyr mumbles.

Euterpe goes to her monitor and looks at the big, illuminating screen. She starts to type frantically.

"Zephyr and Charmain, start naming Ideas! GO, GO, GO!" Euterpe shouts.

2 hours later Euterpe lies in her bed with a list of 24 sins and virtues. She's happy. She holds her teddy bear close to her chest and squeezes it. This year is going to be amazing. She'll make sure of it.

* * *

 **Zephyr Guthrie, Assistant Gamemaker**

* * *

Zephyr launches himself out of bed the next morning. He and Euterpe have worked the whole night with Charmain watching tv next to them. She wasn't of much help but then again, she wasn't a gamemaker. Zephyr dragged himself to the bathroom, where he stared at his tired reflection. He took a shower, brushed his teeth, put on some clothes and got ready to meet up with Euterpe. As he's walking through the hallways, he realizes how god damn lucky he actually is. To not only live in welfare but to also have a stable job and, although he hated admitting it, having nice and fun people surrounding him. He and Euterpe have always had more of a love-hate relationship. She likes to mock and taunt him and he just rolls his eyes at her and occasionally gets aggravated. Ok, not occasionally. Most of the time. Once he reaches the office, he takes a deep breath and enters the room. Euterpe is sitting on her wheelchair like a little child. Sometimes he can't believe she's as old as she is because of how immature and childish she can be.

"Waddup?" Euterpe calls

"Waddup?" Zephyr repeats confused

Euterpe rolls her eyes. "What-is-up?" she says in a tone as if he were partially deaf.

Euterpe makes Zephyr feel old that way, although he is only 36-years-old. He remembers when he used to be so motivated and excited. Back then he was still new to the job. The first Gamemaker he worked for was Flavio Castillo. He was an arrogant asshole but he was damn good at his job. His mutts were creative and deadly and his arenas had twists and turns at every corner. People loved him. Sadly, however, he was executed when his arena malfunctioned and the force field surrounding it cracked. Tributes managed to escape but they were all captured again immediately and executed properly. It was a big mess and caused a lot of controversies.

"We did great yesterday, Zephyr. You can be proud of yourself. This is going to be an amazing cast of Tributes." Euterpe exclaims with a grin.

Zephyr looks at the chart. For District 1 they have hubris and exuberance, two very interesting traits. Certainly won't be hard to find in the District of luxury. For District 2 they have compassion and pride. pride won't really be a problem. The District is filled with people who want to protect their legacy. compassion, however, that will be harder to find in District 2, which makes it all the more interesting. For District 3 they have patience and gluttony. To see the representation of gluttony will surely be interesting. For District 4 they have envy and respect. For District 5 they have dishonesty and valor. For District 6 they have loyalty and cowardice. An ironic duo for sure. Sloth and charisma represent District 7. Lust and integrity for District 8. For District 9 they have diligence and recklessness. For District 10 humility and greed. Definitely another ironic duo. For District 11 they have wrath and peacefulness and finally for District 12 hope and selfishness.

"Yeah, I guess we did work pretty hard, didn't we?" Zephyr confirms with an exhausted look. He sits down at his desk and looks over to Euterpe. "So how are we picking the Tributes again?"

"Ok, so for the next 4 months our men will scavenge the lands of Panem pretending to be normal District residents. They will dig up as much information as possible on these people and choose the best ones that fit the categories which we have set. They will report back to us and by then we will have already finished working on the arena. There will be no reaping bowl or anything like that. The escorts will instead be handed the names of the two selected tributes for each District."

Zephyr can't help but smile. He hasn't been that excited in a long time. "So, you already have Ideas for the arena?" He asks.

Euterpe looks back at him with a mischievous smirk "Oh, trust me, a bunch."

* * *

 **Hey, Friends! So, I have taken on the daunting task of writing my own SYOT. As this is my first SYOT I'm not gonna lie, I'm really scared. But I have decided to take this as a growing experience and to better myself as a writer and trust me this is in no way going to be a masterpiece but it is something I want to do for myself and I am determined and I hope that you guys will help me make this an awesome story! Ok, enough chatting I'll get right to it.**

 **So, for the 7th Quarter Quell the Tributes will be reaped based on their sins and their virtues. Meaning that from each District we have one tribute representing** a virtue **and another representing a sin. The list is right here:**

 **District 1 Male: Hubris ( sin )**

 **District 1 Female: Exuberance ( virtue )**

 **District 2 Male: Compassion ( virtue )**

 **District 2 Female: Pride ( sin )**

 **District 3 Male: Patience ( virtue )**

 **District 3 Female: Gluttony ( sin )**

 **District 4 Male: Respect ( virtue )**

 **District 4 Female: Envy ( sin )**

 **District 5 Male: Dishonesty/Disloyalty ( sin )**

 **District 5 Female: Valor ( virtue )**

 **District 6 Male: Loyalty ( virtue )**

 **District 6 Female: Cowardice ( sin )**

 **District 7 Male: Sloth ( sin )**

 **District 7 Female: Charisma ( virtue )**

 **District 8 Male: Lust ( sin )**

 **District 8 Female: Integrity ( virtue )**

 **District 9 Male: Recklessness ( sin )**

 **District 9 Female: Diligence ( virtue )**

 **District 10 Male: Humility ( virtue )**

 **District 10 Female: Greed ( sin )**

 **District 11 Male: Wrath ( sin )**

 **District 11 Female: Peacefulness ( virtue )**

 **District 12 Male: Hope ( virtue )**

 **District 12 Female: Selfishness ( sin )**

 **The tributes will not be reaped from a bowl but instead, they have been selected because of their day to day behavior. The Tribute form is down below and for more information just go on my profile. Everything should be there. If you have any questions just PM me ). Also, no submissions through review please, thank you!**

 **Reviews are always appreciated and I do take constructive criticism and tips from more experienced writers. And since this is my first story and I don't really know how many people will be interested în this, it will be a first come first serve however everybody can submit 2 Tributes max. One Male and one female. I do take reservations ( they last a week but I can extend if asked ). Please be creative. Since this is first come first serve I am depending on you making an interesting and complex character :D**

 **Also, there will be nor reapings. Flashbacks will serve as introductions**

 **Ok, so that's it!**

 **Tribute Form:**

 **Name:**

 **Age:**

 **District:**

 **Gender:**

 **Sexuality:**

 **Faceclaim or Appearance:**

 **Personality ( Please be detailed, one paragraph at least )**

 **Backstory ( I want unique tributes )**

 **Family:**

 **Friends:**

 **Scene important to introducing the character:**

 **Reaction to being chosen:**

 **Parade outfit ( this is very important, there will be a prize ;) )**

 **Interview outfit ( optional )**

 **Interview angle:**

 **Strengths ( At least 4 )**

 **Weaknesses ( At least 4 )**

 **What they do in training:**

 **Private session:**

 **Predicted score:**

 **Weapon of choice:**

 **Allies (?):**

 **Bloodbath plan ( will they die? )**

 **Game plan:**

 **Fight or Flight Instinct:**

 **Predicted Placement:**

 **Theme song ( optional but appreciated )**

 **Anything else:**


	2. Prologue II: Golden Elegance

**Sunny Windham, Novice Gamemake**

* * *

4 months before the reapings:

Sunny's legs are trembling and his whole body is quivering. The big Iron Gate to the fortress of hell is standing tall and big, right there in front of him. He's scared. He's never been so scared in his whole life.

"Hello, I'm Sunny, I'm the new apprentice, it's a pleasure to meet you… No, that's not it. Good evening- Ugh, no… think, think, think." He mumbles to himself. "It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Sunny, the new Gamemaker. I am hoping to learn from this experience and better myself, yes, yes. That sounds good." He says while giving himself a proud pat on the shoulder. He rings the bell and waits. He's always dreamed of being here, of reaching this part of his life. Designing arena's and mutts and letting your creativity go wild, yes, that is what Sunny wants to do. He admires Euterpe, how young and beautiful she is. How smart she is, his face reddens just thinking about her. Maybe one day they'll get married and have –

"Get in" A big man in his late-thirties growls.

"Uh… H-Hello, shit, no wait… Um, It's a pleasure to meet you and I really –"

"Yeah, I really don't care, I have a ton to do so how about you stop standing around like a lost chicken and get moving" The grumpy man interrupts. "My name is Zephyr Guthrie, but for you, it's Mr. Guthrie or Dr. Guthrie, I actually prefer Dr. Guthrie," Zephyr says while he leads Sunny to the grand entrance.

"Oh, are you a doctor Sir?"

"No."

"But then-"

"Just shut up."

The two of them finally reach the Grand Hall. It's a huge reception area filled with people who have things to do and places to go. The ceiling is extremely high and rounded and there is huge Chandelier hanging from the top like an exotic flower. Floating crystals surround the chandelier. Everybody is dressed in sleek white suits, just like Zephyr. Sunny's eyes glow and his jaw drops as he sees the cyborgs and artificial intelligence monitors surrounding the reception. It is so incredibly busy and yet it doesn't feel like it is overpacked or overcrowded. He feels like he is in heaven here. He looks back at Zephyr as if he is a puppy looking up to their owner.

"This is amazing, just amazing"

"Ok, Sunshine, let's keep moving," Zephyr says hurryingly

"Actually, it's Sunny"

Zephyr ignores him and the two of them walk in silence. Sunny wants to say something to break the Ice but ends up staying silent. They reach a corridor and stop at an electronic door. Zephyr scans his hand on the monitor and the door pops open to reveal a big room filled with robots and testing tubes and a huge screen in the middle with data written all over it. Sunny looks at the graphs and the diagrams and the caged mutts with even more amazement.

"This is testing room 1A. Here you will work alongside me. Testing rooms are where we create mutts and design traps for the Games. We present our Ideas to Euterpe and she decided if they are used or not. You will not touch anything unless I tell you to and you will in no way wander around this place on your own. Got it?" Zephyr looks at him with an utmost intimidating look.

"Y-yes, Sir."

"Good, follow me"

They enter a separate room within 1A. Its dimly lit and there's a huge glass container in the middle. Something is moving inside the container. Sunny can't really tell what it is at first, he adjusts his glasses and moves closer to the cage. Once he is able to make out an image he loses his breath at the sight at hand. It might be the most beautiful creature he has ever seen. Its' golden feathers are shimmering in the dark and the way it struts around it's cage like it owns the place. There is something terrifying about the creature. It oozes with pride and courage and the ruby glowing gem-eyes make it look even more mystical.

"This is 'Project Pavo Auream' or Golden Peacock. It is a mutt we are designing for the 7th Quarter Quell. Euterpe has already accepted the designs. It's our prototype."

"But where is its tail?"

"It's being worked on in 2B. You see, the tail is the most important part and is what makes this bird so deadly. Once it spreads it's feathers and opens it's tail you better not look in its direction because once you stare at it for too long you'll be put into a trance-like state."

"Oh. My. God" Sunny's can't stop staring at the creature.

"Time to go Sunshine."

There's an awkward silence in the elevator.

"So, um, how long have you been working here?" Sunny asks trying to break the silence once more.

"Listen, I'm not here to exchange personal information and to be your friend. I am your supervisor. If I see you working well you'll officially be hired into the Program, if not… you can spend the rest of your days working down there at the reception area, so in other words: Don't annoy me."

"Yes, Sir…"

The elevator reaches a halt and the two of them get out. This Is Sunny's dream. Working here is all he ever wanted to do and he sure as hell won't mess it up. At least he hopes that he won't.

* * *

 **Euterpe Avantius, Head Gamemaker**

* * *

Euterpe kisses Charmain on the lips. A tender kiss. A flirtatious kiss. Charmain caresses Euterpe's cheek as the two lean their foreheads on each other. There's nobody in the room with them which is why they have seized the opportunity immediately. Euterpe doesn't know how Charmain feels about it, this strange relationship the two of them have, but for her, it's nothing serious or nothing which has the potential of becoming serious.

They have been doing this for about a year now. The first time it happened was when Charmain escorted Euterpe back home after the victory celebration of the 149th Hunger Games. Both of them were a little tipsy. Charmain lay on the bed next to Euterpe. They talked for hours until silence filled the room. It wasn't an awkward silence or an uncomfortable silence but more of a silence where both of them knew what the other was thinking about at the same exact moment. Euterpe was the first to make a move by jumping on top of Charmain, Charmain countered that with a passionate kiss on the lips as Euterpe wrapped her legs around Charmain's waste and soon they got into the flow of things.

From that day forth they kept having little… "encounters" like that. It was a way for both of them to relieve themselves from all the stress and pressure and just have fun, once in a while.

Charmain bites her lip as Euterpe goes in for the next kiss.

The door opens and Zephyr walks in alongside Sunny.

"This is the new appren-" he starts before looking up.

"AAAH!" Charmain screams as she bounces off oh Euterpe's lap, blushes and quickly picks up her stuff.

"Um, I-I better leave…" She says with a blush, hurrying out of the room

Both Zephyr and Sunny stand in silence in front of The Head Gamemaker. Sunny's jaw is wide open.

"Well now that you have met the Master of Ceremonies, I better introduce myself. I'm Euterpe Avantius, Head Gamemaker" she exclaims proudly with a smile as if nothing had just happened. It's better that way. She has learned in her few years of life that it is better to just brush off an awkward situation than to let it linger for too long, also, if anyone has a problem with her and her strange relationships they can screw off.

Euterpe watched as Zephyr waves for Sunny to go sit down in the corner and wait. She can't help but grin. Zephyr has always been very tough on the newcomers but once you get to know him, he's a just a big grumpy teddy bear who wants a big hug. Euterpe walks to the control panel and types in the code to unlock the screen. The Big monitor shows a packed schedule.

"So, what have we got?" Zephyr asks as he sits down at his desk.

"Oh boy… a lot." She begins

"Ok, well how is the arena coming along?" Zephyr asks whit genuine concern

Euterpe is extremely happy with how the designs for the arena are going. They have a ton of people working on the construction as they speak. It's a fun concept that truly represents this year's twist.

"I'm happy you asked my dear friend. I'm so excited to present this year's arena to the whole world. It's gonna be so crazy! But… I'm still waiting for the mutts to fill the arena with…" She says while looking Zephyr straight into the eyes, piercing his soul.

When it came to punctuality, she was extremely strict. Preparing a Hunger Games requires the utmost of planning, preparing, and working. There is no room for delay.

"Yeah, yeah. Calm down, I know. It's not as easy as you think. Were have four designs waiting to get your approval and we're currently working on the prototypes of two mutts. It's going along great but it does require time so please don't rush me." He says with a hint of shame.

Euterpe knows how much Zephyr hates it when he feels like he has disappointed someone which is exactly why she uses this attribute of his to her advantage. It's mean but necessary.

"Ok next, we have the victors…" Euterpe says changing the subject. "They are going to be so pissed. I can't wait to look at their faces once we gather them next month to tell them about the twist. I think mostly District one, District two and District four's mentors will be mad at the twist. They have been training their competitors for the 7th Quarter Quell for years and now they don't even get to decide who is chosen for the Games. Who knows... they might end up with a 12-year-old from District 2 sent into the arena!" Euterpe laughs.

"Oh, oh, oh and when they find out that that there will only be 12 mentors, so one for every District they are going to get even madder." She says with a hint of deranged excitement. Euterpe loves getting on people's nerves and seeing their frustration written all across their faces delivers her the most satisfying of achievements. One of her many, many guilty pleasures in life.

"Does the president even agree with this twist and what we have planned?"

"The President? Are you joking? Zephyr, when has the President last shown the slightest bit of concern about the Games and the Capitol itself. That man will stay locked in his room, drinking away his sorrows until he rots. We should be glad that the new Presidential Elections are next year, god I can't wait to have someone who actually shows concern for this country and doesn't leave us all to fend for ourselves."

"Ok, you might be overreacting here a little bit, Euterpe," Zephyr says cautiously.

"Oh, am I? Zephyr, has Panem ever reached new heights? No, we've been doing the same thing for the past hundred years. We are stuck in this sort of limbo of nothingness. Nothing new is happening and nothing new will happen unless we stop relying on that shithead of a President and start coming up with revolutionary Ideas by ourselves. Why do you think I, as Gamemaker, try and come up with the most interesting of arenas every year and why do you think I decided to use this twist, why do you think I decided to have no volunteers? Before I came here, it was always the same! Forest Arena, Jungle Arena, Mountain Arena, and maybe, just maybe, once in a while we got an interesting arena like an abandoned Skyscraper for example. But the problem is my dear Zephyr, once in a while isn't enough. I know that the Games are only entertainment but this, this right here, is my way of showing these people that it is time to take things into our own hands and stop letting this country be stuck in its state of agony."

Euterpe is determined to make some changes to the Games. Changes that needed to be done. Changes that would reawaken the Capitol's lust for The Hunger Games and spoon feed them what they have been craving for ever so long. A bloody, intense, action-packed Games.

 **Hello people! I hope you enjoyed the second prologue to the story. In this chapter, we met Sunny, the new Gamemaker, who is there to kinda lighten up the mood a bit and we got to meet a mutt which will be featured in the Games. The Golden Peacocks with their tantalizing and hypnotizing feathers. The peacocks are supposed to represent Pride and Lust in The Games and there will be more little details like that.**

 **But, let's get to the most important part: I still need submissions. I know its only been almost two days since the last update but I want to get this story started as soon as possible and I will nag all of you to death until the spots are full :D**

 **I would also appreciate some reviews, letting me know what you think of the characters and if my writing is ok or not. I have some more twists planned before the games, one twist involves the tribute parade ( so get workin on those costumes ) and the other fun twist I have planned is for the Training chapters ;)**

 **The arena I have planned is… cool, in my opinion. It will allow for some fun things to happen and I can't wait, so get these spots filled god dang it xD**

 **And, again, if you need anything contact me and I will answer right away, ok maybe not right away, but I will answer! Peace out!**

 **(Also for the introduction of the characters, there will be the main part in each POV which is the flashback and then a small part at the end of each introduction POV with the Tributes in the present after they have been chosen )**


	3. Prologue III: A Victor's Dilemma

**Prologue III: A Victor's Dilemma**

* * *

 **Agava Citrus, District Eight's Mentor**

* * *

2 months before the reapings:

Agava falls to the ground, trying desperately to catch her breath, she feels the blood accumulating in her head, as she struggles to contain her laughter. All the other Mentors are looking at her with disbelief and discontent. Especially the Mentors from District one, District two and District four. Quickly Agava gets up from the floor, apologizes for her behavior and sits back on her seat.

It is two months now before the beginning of the 6th Quarter Quell and Agava knows how hard the Career Districts have been working on getting their volunteers trained so that they can bring glory to their Districts once more. She looks over at Dolph, the Mentor from District 1, she sees the fury in his eyes and how much he just wants to shout and throw a tantrum. Oh, how funny it is when the Career Districts get outsmarted at their own Game.

Agava can't help but remember the first time that she had an encountered, face to face, with a career during her Games. Agava was attempting to shoot arrows at moving targets. It was a miserable sight to behold. She couldn't hit a single one of them and took hours to reload the bow. Venice, the Career from Four, scoffed and pushed her aside as he grabbed the bow from her hands and swiftly shot all the arrows at the moving targets, not missing a single bulls-eye.

"You stand no chance…", he told her quietly as he walked past her, pushing her aside once more with his big and bulky frame.

"Hey, Venice!", she shouted over to him. "How about you get your head out of your ass and come fight me!"

She knew that she'd regret having said that, once he turned his head to face her, and yet, although she was terrified out of her mind and knew that she stood no chance in hell against this Battle God, she kept on smiling. Luckily for her, the other Careers called for him and so she found herself in the clear. There was one thing he said to her before leaving: "I'll kill you, I give you my word."

These words of his ended up taking an ironic twist no one saw coming in the Hunger Games.

Agava was pretty lucky when it came to her Games. She had made an alliance with Ferrel, the boy from Nine, and the pair from Twelve, Joss and Sylvana. Her District Partner, Camillon, went solo and wanted nothing to do with Agava. Her alliance had made a pact to stay together until the end and only then would they turn on each other. Everyone was onboard with the plan. The Arena was a simple one, a freezing tundra with wild and aggressive bears and hail storms with Ice boulders the size of Agava's head. The alliance made it past the bloodbath and managed to gather a good amount of supplies, enough to get them through the next five days at least. As the numbers went down, they started to believe that they would actually make it to the finale. Well, they were wrong. Everything started to go down-hill when they were thrust into a hail storm out of nowhere. They tried to find cover but it was a god damn tundra, so they didn't have any luck with that. By the time they managed to find a small cave, Joss and Sylvana, the pair from Twelve, had received multiple head concussions and collapsed on the cold, wet floor, dying instantly. Agava couldn't help but cry over their death. Ferrel, however, didn't seem to have any remorse for the two and his true colors showed the following day when he ended up turning on Agava by attempting to shoot an arrow at her with his bow, luckily, he missed. Agava then proceeded to dash at him with her dagger, while the kid from Nine desperately tried to load the next arrow onto his bow. But by then it was too late and Agava had slit his throat, cutting through his carotid arteries. The boy fell to the floor, choking on his own blood. Agava watched as the blood pumped out of his throat and his mouth. She had no empathy for him. None.

It was day eight and there were 5 Tributes left in the Game.

Three Careers: Venice, the cruel boy from Four, Garnet the wicked girl from One, and Braxley, the bloodthirsty maniac from Two.

And then there were the two from the outer Districts: Maki, the quick-witted and cunning girl from Six, and Agava herself.

It was on that fateful day, that Agava and Venice had their last encounter, from which only one would walk away with their life.

Sweating, freezing, shivering, Agava ran through the plains of the tundra, as the rain poured on her, making her toes and fingers go numb from the cold. Agava rubbed her hands together, hoping to prevent frostbite from making parts of her body fall off. Never in her life had she been in such horrible pain.

So focused on her agony, Agava blindly walked into the Careers pack's camp. It took some time for either of them to realize the situation they had just found themselves in. They looked at her with disbelief and yet there was also a hint of excitement coming from their eyes as if each one of them wanted to be the first to strike at her. They looked like three predators just waiting for the opportunity to tear this frail little lamb apart.

"She's mine.", Venice said as he pushed Braxley out of the way and took his blade out of its sheath. Agava's eyes widened as she turned around to make a run for it, not looking back once, fearing that he'd be right behind her.

Finally, at some point, she stopped running, when she realized that she'd gained some distance on him. Taking out the bow she took from the District 9 kid's corpse, she hid behind a bush and waited.

"Come out, come out wherever you are…", Venice lullabied. She hated him so much. She felt the anger rise to the surface of her body as her muscles contracted, reaching out for the arrow in her quiver and placing it delicately on the bow.

"Well, here I am." Agava popped out of the bush, pulling the arrow back, tightening her grip around the bow and finally releasing the arrow. She watched it sore through the air, pushing the rain out of the way, as it made its mark on Venice's temple. She heard his blade drop to the ground, as his legs gave in and finally the rest of his body joining his fallen weapon.

Agava wasn't a psychopath because she didn't find pleasure in killing people and yet at that very moment she couldn't help but smile at the sight at hand. She went down on her knees and pulled the arrow out of Venice's temple, putting it back in her quiver.

The rest of the Games were quite uneventful. Braxley, the maniac from Two, couldn't control his bloodlust and so he turned on the girl from One, decapitating her.

Maki, the intellectual from Six, was also victim to Braxley's bloodlust when he found her resting at the lakeside.

Finally, it came down to Agava and Braxley. It wasn't an epic fight because the boy recklessly dashed at her, not even stopping one second, to realize that her bow was aimed directly at his chest.

For that reason, Agava can't help but always laugh at the Careers' arrogance. She loves how they just think that they can do whatever they want in the arena and still end up coming out victorious. She killed two Careers in her Game, and all because their pride and hubris consumed them.

Watching the Mentor's for these Districts find out that they wouldn't be allowed to select their representatives for the 6th Quarter Quell truly is a delight for Agava, which is why she couldn't help but fall to the ground in laughter, as she looked at their faces.

* * *

 **Dolph Vermont, District One's Mentor**

* * *

"Ladies and Gentlemen, for the 6th Quarter Quell the reaped tribute pair from each District will represent one sin and one virtue, however, there will be no volunteers as we have hired people to look into the lives of the people best fitted for the categories, we have set for them. We kindly ask you to respect our decision and to adjust to the modified plans.", the ignorant Head Gamemaker says proudly.

Dolph can't believe what he is hearing. For over thirty years he has been training Tributes for the Games and has brought back four victors. He is excellent at his job and produces some of the most skilled fighters, adored by the Capitol and the Districts alike. His pride, his dignity, no, his life is on the line. Everything he has worked so hard for. Everyone speaks of him with the utmost respect.

"Oh, I can't wait to see which tributes Dolph will select for the 6th Quarter Quell!", he heard them say recently and now you are telling him that he might end up training a goddamn twelve-year-old? Unbelievable. Just unbelievable.

Dolph slams his fist against the table, rising from his chair and standing tall above all the other Victors gathered. Now that he has a good view of all of them, he recognizes a few faces.

Quilla, District Two's mentor, with whom he had slept multiple times, Norval, District Four's mentor, whom he hated so much. The man could go hours talking on and on about how great he is and about how much he is adored by everyone. Dolph couldn't stand listening to his annoyingly charming voice.

Furthermore, there was Nadia, District Nine's mentor, the girl was a legend, he'll give her that. Dolph usually hates it when outer Districts win but she truly deserved to come out victorious. The girl grabbed a sickle from the cornucopia, which yes, it was a cliché that the Tribute from Nine picked the sickle, but she was a goddess with that thing, decapitating three Tribute in the Bloodbath, one of which was a Career.

Another Familiar face was Iben, the youngest one here, who is mentoring Three. Dolph has nothing positive to say about the boy. He simply is a coward, nothing less and nothing more. In his Games, he went to grab a bag in the cornucopia, watched his partner be brutally murdered, panicked, dropped everything he had, made a run for it, continued running, and running, and walking until he finally reached a secluded area, where he climbed a tree and stayed there. For the whole entire fucking Game…

And, yes, that is how he won. A bastard.

The last Face he can recognize is the annoyingly loud girl on the floor, Agava, District Eight's Mentor. She killed two people in her Games. Both were Careers. He hated her. The only reason she won was because the Careers in her Games were idiots who weren't trained properly. If Dolph would have been their mentor, Agava wouldn't have made out of the bloodbath alive.

He continues to look around the room. He can't really find any other memorable or significant Victors. The rest were all more or less Newbies. Winners of the more recent generations.

"This is unacceptable!", he shouts. "My pride is on the line here and I refuse to mentor an inexperienced and pretentious kid from One. So far I have handpicked almost every Tribute in the last couple of years and you will not take that away from me."

The Head Gamemaker takes a deep breath.

"First of all, Dolph dear, may I remind you that you have no say in this what so ever. I couldn't care less what you think of the twist because you have no actual power over me. You are nothing but a replaceable pawn. I could remove you from your duty at any given time and trust me, there are many who are dying to take your place to mentor the Tributes for the 6th Quell. Second of all, you are old-school. The way you do things is old-school. The way you think is old-school. Honey, there is no place for old-school anymore. The Games are slowly developing every year from what it used to be: A primitive gladiator arena. At that time it wasn't an art form yet. It was just vile. Vile without creativity. Vile without purpose. Now there is a purpose. A purpose to show the country that it is time to make some changes around here. So, how about you sit back down and shut up or I swear I'll have you removed immediately."

Dolph silently sank back into his chair, like a puppy that has been scolded. It is true. He has heard it many times before.

He is old-school.

Old-school is a term that is used to describe Victors like him. Victors from the older generation. Back when the Hunger Games were still simple, with very little twists and surprises. The Games were fun in their original little way. They didn't need any kind of glow up. There would be volunteers from One, Two and Four. They would usually dominate the Games, especially the males. It didn't happen often that a Tribute from an outer District came out victorious and when it did happen, it would be a big surprise. The arenas were usually nothing more than a forest, a desert, a jungle and sometimes when people got a big creative it would be an Island with a volcano, but honestly, it was never more than that. In the past couple of generations Gamemakers have started to try and get creative by creating flying arenas, moving arenas, rotating arenas and the victors became more and more diverse, in terms of the winning Districts, There were some years where outer Districts would win Games in a row and cast a dark shadow over the Careers.

Dolph hates new-school.

Dolph wants things to be the way they used to be.

* * *

 **Hello people! So, this was the third prologue already, meaning we are getting nearer and nearer to the start of the Games. The submissions are coming along well. I still have some spots open and there are still a couple of reserved spots. So, we'll see how the submissions go for the next week and if the reserved spots stay the same, I will notify you, that your reservation has run out. You can then re-reserve if you'd like. So, all reserved spots will stay reserved until Friday. I will then open any remaining spots.**

 **Ok, with that out of the way, in this chapter we met two Victors, Agava and Dolph. I enjoyed writing this chapter a lot, mainly because I like writing 'Mini-Games' and flashbacks from Victors. I really do hope that the many names in the chapter didn't confuse you. If it did, don't worry. It's not really that important. I also felt like I needed to emphasize Old-school Vs New-school. It is a concept I am intrigued by. Some people prefer the simple old-school Games while others prefer the flashy new-school Games. I'd be happy to hear your opinion in the reviews.**

 **The last thing I'd like to point out real quick is that someone in the reviews had a complaint about my punctuation and my mistakes. I'd like to apologize for that. I usually don't carefully re-read my chapters again, so I don't notice small details like** **this xD**

 **But I'll try to better myself! ( Remember this is also a learning process for me xD )**

 **So yeah, I have nothing else to say for now! Hope you enjoyed the chapter and peace out!**

 **P.S Thank you, Anna, for your lovely review!**


	4. District 9: Recklessness and Diligence

**Calix Lare, 16, District Nine**

* * *

Calix feels the warmth of his bed cover engulfing him in a comforting hug. He can't help but smile as he tries to adjust his body to a comfortable position.

Suddenly Calix feels a sting, a terrible one. It hurts. His eyes tear open and all he can see is grey, not the colorful and happy home he once lived in, but… a grey and dull room.

Trying hard to get rid of the blurry vision, Calix slaps his face.

Damn it, now he remembers.

He notices the tubes stuck in his arm and the bandages covering his forehead.

He's not at home, is he? No, he's in a hospital.

Well, Calix can't say that he is surprised. He wound up here many times before, every time because of the same scenario: People piss him off, his attitude comes into play, it pisses them off, they get into a fight, either he or they end up in bandages.

This time it was him who got the shorter end of the stick.

Calix's boldness always gets the better of him.

He's just not good at keeping his thoughts to himself. And once he has thought it, he usually has already said it before he can stop himself. Calix absolutely detests that about himself and wishes he had better control over his impulses, but he doesn't, and that's a fact.

It's just that when he saw these drunken bastards on the street, he couldn't help but throw in a snarky comment or two. He really didn't mean for them to hear. Sadly, they did.

There were three of them. They were big and strong and weren't here to play games.

Trying to throw in a punch, the first one dashed forward at him. Calix evaded it, grabbing the idiot's arm, twisting it till it cracked and then finally pushed the bastard aside, as the next one came forward to get his share.

Calix is used to it. Drunk people are usually the easiest to best. They have no rhythm, no strategy, no nothing. They just jump at you, thinking that by some miracle, you'll just dangle there like a punching bag.

Calix was no damn punching bag.

As the other two drunks were keeping him occupied, the third one got up from the floor and surprised Calix from behind, wrapping him in a constraining hug, rendering him defenseless.

Calix fought and struggled and desperately tried to loosen the drunk's grip but he just wouldn't give in. As the other two started punching and kicking him, he knew he was done for.

After they had finished him off, he just lay there lifeless like a corpse.

And now here he is, waking up in this all too familiar hospital bed.

Calix couldn't help but groan. He is in pain but he knows that he could never afford the hospital bills and if they find out that he has no guardians caring for him, they would take him away.

A tear runs down his cheek because, for a moment, as he was lying in that bed with his eyes closed, he actually thought he was home with mom and dad.

His father died when he was nine, his mom soon after when he was twelve. And with her gone, he had no one left. He did have a sister, but she didn't make it past four months after her birth. Her name was Peyton. Sweet Peyton.

The anger starting to boil inside of him, he feels the blood rushing vigorously through his veins. He has nothing. No father, no mother, no sister, but what he still has is freedom, and they sure as hell won't take that away from him. Calix Lare has nothing to lose in life anymore and he plans on spending the rest of it doing what he wants when he wants.

Calix grabs the tubes stuck in his arm and rips them out, the crimson liquid creeping down his arm as if he were a leaking container. It hurts but it doesn't hurt enough, not enough for him to give in.

He grabs some bandages, wraps them around his bleeding arm and jumps out of bed, immediately making a run for it. The corridors are confusing and they all look the same: White marble floor, nurses walking through the halls, emotionless, like mechanically engineered puppets, people coughing and moaning, lots of people coughing and moaning actually.

Calix needs to get out of here.

"Sir, you need to get back into bed," a tall and slender nurse says, carefully touching his bleeding arm with her skeleton fingers.

"Don't touch me!" Calix shouts out.

The skeleton nurse takes out some kind of communication device.

"Code orange," she whispers quietly, but Calix still hears. He always does.

Pushing her out of the way, he storms down the staircase, still hearing her shout after him. Finally, he can see the exit. Having lost all sense of time, he was pleasantly surprised when he saw the warming rays of sunshine beaming into the hospital. He was free. He loved to be free.

"Sir, we need you to get back to your bed," an elephant of a man says firmly to him, grabbing his shoulder tightly. Calix doesn't like to be touched, not like that.

"I said… don't touch me."

Calix kicks the man hard in the shin.

"Agh! You son of a bitch!" the elephant winces

Calix sprints out of the building, not wasting a single second. He looks back one more time.

"Hey, big guy! I suggest you cut down on those carbs… would really do you some good!"

As he steps out of the hospital a familiar voice calls over to him.

"Get on!"

A dashingly handsome man on a motorbike waves for Calix to approach. It was Kevan.

Kevan might be the only person left on this planet that Calix cares about. He's always been there for him and has allowed Calix to stay at his place. Without Kevan he'd be rotting on the streets right now.

As peacekeepers start to approach to see, what all the commotion is about Calix quickly mounts the bike and the two of them drive along District Nine's beautiful streets. The fields of grain and wheat spread miles and miles into the sunset. Calix wrapped his arms around Kevan and held him tightly.

They stop at an abandoned building where Kevan grabs Calix and pushes him against the wall.

"How'd you know I was in the hospital…?" Calix asks cautiously because he knows that Kevan is fuming with anger.

"I know you. I know how you think, I know how you act and I know how stupid you are!"

"Hey, hey calm down," Calix hushes, still with caution.

"You think I don't know what happened when there's no sign of you for like five hours? I always know when something happened to you. Always. And that is why every single time I wait for you outside of the hospital and every single time you ask me the same stupid question as if it makes a difference why or how I knew that you were there."

Calix looks at Kevan with big eyes and then he starts to smile.

"I knew I could always rely on you," he starts while placing his hands on Kevan's shoulders.

"No," Kevan says bluntly

"What no?"

"You do this every time. You get into trouble, I bring you to safety, I get mad at you, you kiss me, I forgive you. This time I'm really pissed at y-"

Calix grabs Kevan by his shirt, turns around, and pushes him up against the wall, pressing his lips against Kevin's. It feels likes hours have passed before they finally unlock their lips.

"I hate you…" Kevan murmurs.

"No, you don't," Calix smirks

"One day you'll get yourself killed."

"I know."

* * *

Calix holds the small envelope in his hands. It has the Capitol seal on it.

They gave him this letter when he was reaped. He was supposed to open it once he entered the train to the Capitol. He couldn't stop rereading it ever since.

"Dear Calix Lare, Congratulations on having been hand-selected to represent recklessness in the 6th Quarter Quell."

So, the reapings were rigged. They made it look like he was selected by chance as if there weren't hundreds of little paper slips with his name on them; as if they hadn't planned on picking him from the beginning.

He was chosen to represent recklessness…

So, that is what the Quell Twist is. They are collecting a bunch of people with bad traits and stuffing them into a slaughterhouse. It must be so much fun for them to come up with this shit. The Capitol fails to bore Calix.

He looks around the train. What luxury! Chandeliers, carefully woven rugs, cashmere pillows, tables covered with food he has never heard of. There is even a golden cage on display with some sort of nightingale in it.

Calix scoffs.

His partner is nowhere to be seen. As soon as they had entered the train, she had run towards her cabin and locked herself in. He can still hear sobs coming from her room. She is weak. Someone who can't accept fate is weak.

Calix is sure that all the other tributes, except for the Careers, most probably, are in distress right now, lamenting over how their life is over and how they will die at such a young age.

Calix, however, is excited. A smile forms on his lips as he reads the letter one last time. Fine, they want recklessness? He'll show them recklessness.

* * *

 **Eydis Cuyler, 17, District Nine**

* * *

Eydis feels the cold dirt rise between her toes as she steps onto the fields to start her work before the hot afternoon sun kicks in. Eydis considers Nine to be the most beautiful District with its stunningly colorful fields stretching across the landscape.

She breathes in the fresh morning breeze, grabs a sickle and starts frolicking towards her father who's already cutting down the grains.

"Father!" Eydis shouts with joy.

"Eydis…" he starts before trailing off, leaving her name to fade into oblivion.

She sees the despair and tiredness in his eyes, she sees the regret in his movements, she hears the sorrow in his words. He barely ever speaks, not after what happened to Eydis' mother. She died after she had fallen ill due to rare Macro Polymorphic Virus. They didn't have enough money to pay for her recovery, and so she slowly faded in her bed while her husband and Eydis lay next to her, sobbing quietly. She was in enough pain already.

It was hard for Eydis to recover after her mother passed away. She cuddled with her, laughed with her, cried with her and now… she's living without her. For a long time, she failed to comprehend, how she was supposed to keep on living without that vital part of her life. It was as if a piece of her was missing and she wouldn't be able to fix herself up without that missing piece. With time Eydis painfully learned to keep on living without her mother. It was hard but she did it.

Her father, however, still hasn't recovered. He got past the first four stages of grief but never crossed the last. First came denial. Her father experienced denial together with Eydis herself. The two of them would sit on the couch in silence, not making a single noise, refusing to take in what happened.

Then came anger. Her father would come home drunk and make a mess, breaking the glass and shouting around the house. Eydis would have to tackle him and hold him tightly until he relaxed.

Next came bargaining. He would go to church every day after work and spend hours praying to God.

The last stage was depression. Sorrow, grief, tiredness - they all consumed him and took over his body. The next stage would have been accepted. But he never made it past depression.

Her father secluded himself to the extent that he barely ever spoke to his daughter because every time he would look at her, he was reminded of his wife. All he cared about was work. It distracted him. He got up early every morning and started working until the sun hid behind the mountains.

What he never really realized or appreciated was that Eydis was there, all the time. She never left his side. When he got up early in the morning, Eydis got up with him. When he started to work on the fields, she picked up the sickle and worked with him. Side by side. She would try to start a conversation, try to bring out her old father. Her father who used to laugh, her father who used to joke, her father who used to play with her and who would comfort her when she was down.

The conversations were always very one-sided. He was always detached, so he never answered when Eydis asked him how his day was or if he was hungry or if he wanted to rest for a bit.

Eydis felt alone but she knew that whatever she felt, her father felt a thousand times worse, and that is why she never stopped working. Working is what showed him that she was there for him and that she wasn't going to leave him alone in his darkness.

"Eydis!" A voice screams.

"WHAT?! REED! ARE YOU OKAY?!" she shouts, running as fast as she can towards the recognizable voice.

There he is, fourteen-year-old Reed. Reed, the farm boy who often comes over to help Eydis out. He's like a little brother to her. He makes life fun in the fields. He is also the reason why Eydis got past the grief. She wishes her father had someone like Reed.

"Look what I found?" he gushed, holding up a hand full of frogs.

"Reed, you scared the living heck out of me…" Eydis says with relief, carefully holding one of the frogs in her palm

"You can keep him."

"He's a cute one, isn't he?" She holds him up high to get a better look.

"Guess who's coming over later?" Reed stands up.

"Who?" Eydis asks, while still observing the creature in her hands.

"Wren."

"W-WHAT? W-When?"

"I'm right behind you." Wren taps Eydis on the shoulder.

"W-W-Wren… uh, how, how are you?" Eydis stutters.

"Lookin' a little red there, buddy," Wren teases.

"Oh, am I? I didn't notice, hehe," Eydis laughs awkwardly.

Eydis might be having the biggest crush on Wren, the girl next door. Wren often comes over, just like Reed, to give them company and work with them. Since Eydis isn't very good at handling her emotions around Wren, she usually likes to keep a bit of a distance from her but Wren still insists on teasing Eydis.

"KIDS! TIME FOR BREAKFAST!" Eydis' grandmother shouts.

The three of them start to walk back towards the house. Eydis turns around to look at her father

"Dad…" she starts, but he's already walking away to the next patch of crops.

The house is filled with sick and wounded District Nine workers. Eydis' grandmother used to be a nurse and now she helps the people who can't afford to be treated in a hospital. Eydis doesn't really mind having all these people around. On the contrary, it makes her feel comfortable. Sometimes she watches her grandmother stitch a wound and she'd even bring the workers some food. She didn't feel comfortable talking to them, though. Eydis has a problem opening up to strangers and she usually only feels comfortable with people she's gotten close to.

She looks at all the faces. She sees how hard all of these men and women work. She can tell by their scars, their worn-out hands, and their tired demeanor. Looking at these people every day when she wakes up early in the morning to start working alongside her father, gives her determination.

The five of them: Wren, Reed, her grandparents and Eydis herself, share a big breakfast meal with eggs and sausages and pancakes and cookies. They are laughing and joking and Eydis almost forgets the pain. Almost.

* * *

Once Eydis has stopped crying her heart out, she is surprised how still the train is although it is moving at such high speed. She holds the letter from the Capitol in her hands as she wipes the tears off her face and reads it one more time.

"Dear Eydis Cuyler, Congratulations on having been hand-selected to represent diligence in the 6th Quarter Quell.

She buries her face in the pillow and starts to sob again. She doesn't care if her partner or her escort or her mentor hear her. Every day she's been working so hard to keep her father company and to take care of the sick workers with her grandmother, and now… and now she's being reaped because of her good deeds. Not by chance, not because she rebelled, but because she did something good.

Eydis gets up and takes a sip of water. No, she can't be reckless. She can't let her emotions get the better of her. She will go out there and learn how to survive because if she doesn't, there will be nobody to give her father company. She will put her fears aside and communicate with her district partner and who knows? Maybe he is an extremely nice person.

Eydis opens the sliding door and makes her way to the living room of the train.

The slender boy is still sitting there, munching on the pastries.

"Done crying?" he asks, his mouth full of food.

Eydis approaches the boy and sits across him.

"I'm Eydis Cuyler, it's a pleasure to meet you." She smiles awkwardly while reaching out for his hand.

"You can stop smiling, it's creepy." He swallows the food in his mouth. "Anyway, I'm Calix. Calix Lare," he exclaims with a hint of pride, reaching out for her hand.

"Ok, Calix, so what is the plan?"

"What plan?"

"Well, I mean… what is our game strategy?"

"Our game strategy?" He lingered on the word 'our'. "There is no 'our' game strategy. This is survival of the fittest, sweetie, and you don't seem very fit to me." Calix gets up from the table and starts walking towards his cabin.

"B-but I need you… I need your help."Eydis quickly rushes after him, grabbing his arm and pulling him back.

He turns around, facing her.

For the first time, Eydis realizes how tall he actually is. As he intimidatingly approaches his head towards her, Eydis walks backward until she bumps against the wall behind her. Calix leans his arm against the wall, parallel to her face.

"Oh, you need me? Listen, if you want to fulfill your sexual desires before you die, I'm not the right guy because I'm not into girls," he whispers into her ear.

"WHAT?!" Eydis shouts pushing him back. "How on God's earth did you deduce that from what I just said?"

"Please, I know girls like you pretending to be sweet and innocent, but in the end, you're all the same: manipulative and lustful."

"WHAT?!" she shouts again in disbelief. How pretentious and foolish can this boy be? "I-I-I'm not… I'm not into guys…"

"…wait, so you're…"

"Yeah… and you're…"

"Same here."

"Okay… uh, cool."

An awkward silence fills the room. Eydis can tell that he is blushing a bit which definitely means that she is also blushing.

"Well, um, I gotta go…" Calix quickly walks out of the room.

Eydis is still standing there, her head leaning against the wall, asking herself what the hell just happened.

* * *

 **Hey, friends! So, this was a pretty long chapter. Don't expect all chapters to be that long ( Don't worry xD ). This was just to get me into the flow but I'd like to keep each chapter at around 2k or so. I would like to thank Professor R.J Lupin for sending in Calix and Disordered Beauty for sending in Eydis! They are both so awesome and I look forward to writing them more! If the sudden scene change confused you, I'll explain here: For every tribute, I'll have a flashback or a scene from their past and then a small train ride chapter. That way I can tackle 'reapings' and train rides at the same time.**

 **Please, please, please don't forget to review so I know what you guys think!** **(I've already been working/trying to work on my punctuation xD ). Slots are all full ( THANK YOU SO MUCH! ) but there are some people still receiving.**

 **That's all for now.**

 **So, see ya guys next time! ( Either this week or the next)**


	5. District 3: Patience and Gluttony

**Hyperion Graham, 18, District 3**

 **POV Trigger Warning: Self-Harm, Depression, Suicidal Thoughts, an offensive remark concerning autism**

* * *

One year before the reapings:

District Three has always been one of the more developed Districts with modern infrastructure and many skyscrapers. On one of these skyscrapers stands Hyperion Graham, his hands grabbing his hair and tears dripping from his face.

Normally, people would be scared to stand this close to the edge but Hyperion doesn't care anymore, he's stopped caring months ago and yet he can't bring himself to do it, to jump, because his brother's face keeps popping up right in front of him.

"Holden…" he mumbles to himself. "No, no, no, no…" He punches himself in the stomach. If he isn't here, there will be no one to take care of his autistic little brother, since their parents are far too busy working in order to provide for them.

Hyperion takes a step back and breathes heavily, his chest rising and sinking rapidly. He leans on a wall and slowly slides to the ground with the cool night breeze blowing in his face.

This, right here, has happened around fifty times since his first testosterone injection.

Growing up, Hyperion has never felt like a girl and although every day he would protest against the way his parents dressed him and the way they called him, they just didn't seem to notice, ever. It was only when Hyperion turned 16, that his parents realized that something was up. That their little girl might not actually feel like a little girl.

Hyperion continues to sink to the floor until, finally, his whole body is laying there like road kill. Sometimes, he actually feels like road kill. A little smile forms on his face when he looks back at that moment when he was still happy. At that moment when he got his first testosterone injection.

He thought it would be something life-changing, that he would finally feel like himself. He's always heard of people going through life-changing transformations and finally finding their true self. This was supposed to be his one and only life-changing experience and, yes, it was life-changing… but just not in the way that he expected it to be. Darkness started to creep it's way into the inside of his body, sucking away the little joy he had left. Instead of all his worries being vanquished, new and strange anxieties appeared, anxieties that isolated him from society, anxieties that pulled him into his own little darkness. The only way for Hyperion to fight this darkness was to distract himself from the emotional pain by inflicting physical one. Instead of talking to his parents about his depression, he pretended like everything was fine like he was finally happy with his new and improved self and the reason for that was, Holden. His parents were already under enough pressure because of his little brother's autism and Hyperion knew that he couldn't possibly add to the stress of it all by sharing his issues with the already existing ones and since his parents were working day and night, it was up to him to take care of his little brother. Hyperion didn't mind doing it. He loved Holden. He loved him more than himself and so he put his worries aside and focused solely on Holden.

That was his life up until now. He hides his anxieties, he pretends everything is fine, he takes care of his autistic little brother by taking him out for walks, playing with him, cooking for him and trying to teach him how to read and write.

Once in a while, when he wouldn't be able to keep his pain in check, he would come up here and look down at the gateway to heaven and think how with one simple leap of faith, all of his worries would disappear.

Getting up from the icy cold asphalt floor, he wipes the tears from his face and makes his way back down to the apartment.

"Hyperion!" Holden screams, attacking his older brother.

Hyperion lifts him high up and sets him on his shoulders.

"Guys, get ready for dinner!" his mother shouts from the kitchen.

August, his father, walks in from the living room. "How was your walk outside?" He gives his son a pat on the shoulder.

"Uh… good, it was fine, yeah." Hyperion looks down awkwardly. His parents always think that he's out getting some fresh air when he's actually balancing life and death in his hands.

"Look who's here Holden?" Hyperion sets his brother down so their dog, Juno, can lick his face.

Holden falls to the floor giggling. No matter what Hyperion would never put his worries or his pain before Holden's. His little brother deserves the world and Hyperion tries as hard as he can to give him the life that he actually deserves. That is why Hyperion suffers in silence. There is no room for his sorrow in this world.

* * *

The sun shines into the train, illuminating the room. Hyperion silently watches his district partner. She's… he doesn't quite understand what she's doing, but it seems like she's trying to break out of the train. Whatever she's attempting to do won't help so instead of focusing on her, Hyperion continues writing. The capitol was 'kind' enough to let him send a guide to their parents. The guide contains important information on how to take care of Holden and his condition. Since Hyperion has spent the most time with Holden, it is up to him to make sure that when he's gone, his parents will be able to care for his little brother.

Hyperion doesn't want to succumb to the luxury that their capitol train has to offer because he has a deadline. He needs to finish before they arrive because they won't let him continue once they reach the Capitol.

"Focus, focus, focus…" Hyperion mumbles to himself. His district partner is so incredibly loud. He looks over to her once more. Now she's holding a kitchen knife and trying to… do something. "You know there's no point in trying to break free, right? The glass is made out of Egnadon, so even if you were to bash at it with a hammer, it wouldn't break…" Hyperion finally gives in.

His partner looks at him as if he had just insulted her a few seconds ago.

"What do you know?" She walks over to him and slams her hands on the table, where he's writing on. "At least I'm trying something. Everyone who gets reaped just gives up immediately because it is so much easier for them to just lay back and let fate take control. I'm not that kind of person… I'm not gonna give up just because it is easier, got it?"

"I do understand but I'm just trying to tell you that-"

"I don't care," his partner interrupts abruptly. "And what are you doing anyway? Writing a diary?"

"No, this is for my brother he has autism…"

"Oh, so he's retarded?"

Hyperion is fuming with anger right now but he won't let her get to him. He needs to focus. But as soon as he stops paying any attention to the girl, she snatches his letter away.

"Could you please give that back?"

She ignores him and proceeds to read the letter.

"Hm… so you're representing Patience. Boring."

Hyperion looks at her carefully because he's able to see a drop in her facial expression as she continues to read. Suddenly, she lets the paper fall gently to the ground and looks at him as if she'd just seen a Nightcrawler.

"Your name is Hyperion?" she asks.

"Uh… yes, why?" He's starting to get worried because her tone and her attitude changed completely from when she first spoke to him a couple of minutes ago. The edges of her mouth begin to pull upwards.

It's not a happy smile. No. It's a smile filled with sadness and sorrow. Not the smile you would expect from a girl as fiery as her.

"My father was… is called like that," she corrects herself.

Before Hyperion is able to answer, she's already gone

* * *

 **Dimona Summa, 16, District 3**

 **POV Trigger Warning: Underage drinking, drug consumption**

* * *

three months before the reapings:

"Mom? You there?" Dimona creeps up the staircase to her mother's room. It's the middle of the night and there isn't a single sound to be heard. Whenever Dimona can't sleep she likes to go to her mother and sleep in her bed. Once she enters the room, however, she isn't greeted by the sole presence of her mother but also by a strange naked body lying next to her. Sleeping.

Before her mother sees her, Dimona runs back down, grabs her phone and gets out of the house. She hates it when her mother invited strangers into their house. When she was still together with her father, her mother was happy. But now, she's just as sad as Dimona herself.

"Darek, you awake?" Dimona calls her close friend. "Ok, cool. Make sure Vista and Express join us as well. We're going out drinking!"

Dimona waits impatiently in front of a local pub called: ,, Fire Breathers". The place throws a party every Friday so it was the perfect opportunity for them to meet there tonight.

The first one to arrive is Darek. Her closest friend. He's extremely flirtatious and likes to hook up with many younger girls. Dimona doesn't really care that he's a bit of a fuckboy because he's always there for her.

"Hey there, sweetheart," he greets her.

"Fuck you." Dimona hates it when he calls her that. She's not a sweetheart.

"Love you too," Darek teases. "Would you look at that… Vista!"

Dimona looks over in the direction that Darek is waving in. The next to arrive is Vista. Vista is a complicated one. She's definitely the most 'pleasant' one out of the four and loves to lighten up the mood and to party but she's a bit of a wreck. She has this on and off relationship with Darek and she and Dimona have hooked up a couple of times before.

"Sup losers! Time to get wasted." Vista winks at them.

Soon after, the last one arrives. Express. Dimona and the others to tease him quite often because of his name but it is never meant to be taken seriously. Express is the mom/dad of the group. He's quite gangly and awkward but they love him nonetheless because he tries hard to keep them in check although he does fail sometimes, no, quite often in fact. Although it is embarrassing for her to admit, one of the reasons why they keep him around is because he sells them anxiety prescriptions so that they can get high.

"So, all of us here?" Dimona looks over the group. Everyone gives a small nod. "Perfect. Let's fucking do this!"

As the night went on it kept getting crazier and crazier. The music, extremely loud, created some sort of mystical atmosphere that was hard to describe and Dimona could feel the heavy beat vibrating and crawling all over her body. But did that stop her from drinking? Hell no.

Her friends, all drunk and high, are moving with the beat on the dance floor and acting more like animals than humans. Darek is dancing seductively with another girl and Vista is just all over the place. Express, not nearly as wasted as them, sits in a corner silently. Looking around, Dimona spots herself a prey. A young man, maybe in his twenties, nice dirty blonde hair, muscular frame, and the sharpest jawline she'd ever seen.

"Hey there, you all by yourself?" Dimona carefully lays a hand next to his.

"Yeah, just… trying to let loose a little and forget about the rest of the world, you know what I mean?" He gives a small chuckle.

"I know exactly what you mean. I'm here to do the exact same thing."

What exactly happened next before they wound up making out in the bathroom is a blur for Dimona. But here they are, he touching her in places he wouldn't if he knew her actual age, and she, pulling him as close as possible in order for her to forget the pain in her chest that keeps getting stronger and stronger when she's not on the influence of something.

A sob comes from one of the bathroom stalls and a frail girl comes out. Once Dimona realizes the presence of this girl, she pushes the man away and tells him to get out. He looks at her in confusion but when Dimona starts shouting at him, he leaves without hesitation.

"Why are you crying, Xiomara? Why?!" Dimona approaches Xiomara. "You have everything, so tell me, why the hell are you crying? What right do you have?" Dimona's face is about to fill up with tears but she pushes them back and tries as hard as she can to stay strong.

When Dimona's father, Hyperion, won the Games and came back, he changed. He wasn't the man his daughter once knew and he didn't act like him either. He ended it all when he came home. He told his wife that he had been in love with another woman even before he had been reaped and that he didn't want to waste any more time with someone he didn't truly have feelings for. That woman he was so deeply in love with and that he left his original family for was Xiomara's mother. Even worse: Xiomara was Dimona's best friend… and know she's her father's stepdaughter. Dimona hates Xiomara. She hates her so very much.

"My grandmother passed away a few hours ago… so I thought I'd come here to distract myself," Xiomara sniffs.

Part of Dimona wants to envelop her old friend in a big, comforting hug but whenever she looks at Xiomara her blood starts to boil and she can't think of anything else but that her father picked Xiomara over her.

"Why do you hate me, Dimona?"

Dimona stares at Xiomara with an icy glance before finally stepping closer. "Because you took everything away from me…"

The only other sound to be heard is the booming music outside but other than that the two of them stand still in the bathroom, neither of them knowing what to do or say next.

"I…" Xiomara starts.

"Don't, just don't." Dimona leaves the bathroom without looking back.

As she returns to her friends she sees Xiomara leaving the party. Quickly Dimona grabs Darek and Vista and calls for Express to come over. "We're following her."

"Who? I just… there's this ffffunny lookin lil cup there, you see it? The cup," Darek mumbles, clearly drunk.

"Just shut up, Darek." Dimona pushes them out the door and the four of them follow Xiomara. Express and Dimona are in front, always looking back to see if Vista and Darek are keeping up. Sometimes they'd have to pick them up when they fell down. It is a miracle that Xiomara hasn't noticed them yet.

Finally, Dimona gestures for them to stop because Xiomara has arrived at her destination. Her home. Dimona's father's new home. Dimona doesn't quite understand why she does this to herself but she wants to believe it is because she is strong enough to face reality and not look away… but deep inside it is because she misses her father, she misses him so very much to the point that there hasn't been a single week in the last couple of years where she hasn't been drunk or high or getting laid in order to numb the pain.

When her ex-best friend rings the doorbell, her father comes to greet her. Dimona clenches her fists. He wraps her in a big hug and kisses her on the forehead. Dimona grinds her teeth. He takes her hand and leads her back into their warm and cozy home. Dimona's face fills up with tears.

"I need to go, guys," Dimona says abruptly.

Darek and Vista have no clue what is going on and where they are but all they can do is sit there and laugh at nothing. Express is the only one who realizes that something is wrong.

"Dimona, do you want me to take you home?" He puts a hand on her shoulder.

"No, it's ok." Dimona hides her face. "Just make sure that these two get home safely."

After that Dimona turns around and starts walking away into the darkness. The dim alleys don't scare her anymore because there is something that frightens her a lot more. Loneliness.

* * *

Dimona can't comprehend why this Hyperion kid is just giving up. She can't really comprehend why any of them do. Clearly, there must be a way to break out. No one is invincible, not even the Capitol. But alas, after trying for hours to find a way out, Dimona has come to the conclusion that, no, there isn't a way to flee from this hell hole.

She hasn't told Hyperion her name yet. Why should she? He'll most probably find out anyway sooner or later and if she were to tell him it would seem like she wants to ally with him and she doesn't, she doesn't want to ally with anyone.

Dimona reads her letter once more.

"Dear Dimona Summa, Congratulations on having been hand-selected to represent Gluttony in the 6th Quarter Quell."

She was sure that she'd be representing something like envy or wrath but now that she thinks about it… she couldn't have summed herself up any better than that. Gluttony.

"God, I need some Morphling…" Dimona mumbles to herself.

* * *

 **Heyy dudes! So, sorry for this heavy chapter. I promise ( ok, I don't know yet but I think ) that this is the darkest/most depressing chapter… but who knows maybe I'll make the other ones just as heavy, we'll see.**

 **IMPORTANT: Don't worry updates will usually not be this far apart. It's just that I'm on vacation right now and am still for the next week. This is why I haven't updated in a while but I thought that I had to squeeze in one more chapter. So, don't worry ;)**

 **Anyway, I'd like to thank Mayfly for sending in Hyperion and Santiago for Dimona. What do you think of the two? Hyperion was definitely harder to write but he's also quite a complex character.**

 **Please, please, please leave a review because it shows me that you care and that you are following and I would really, really appreciate it and I love all of you so, so much and goodbye!**


	6. District 1: Exuberance and Hubris

**Cartier Pyrite, 17, District One**

* * *

Five months before the reapings:

Cartier runs a hand through her short-cut hair. Thirty seconds later, she does it again, and again, and again. It has become somewhat of an obsession. She scratches her jaw and feels her jawbone, which gives her face its angular structure, protrudes out. Quiet little hums escape her perfectly shaped lips as she walks alongside her sister, Glitter. The two of them are making their way to the academy. It truly is a beautiful day and the sun shines high up in the sky, illuminating the clean, marble streets.

"Would you stop that," Glitter says abruptly, interrupting Cartier's daydreaming.

"Stop what, sister?" she gives Glitter the biggest smile she can muster.

"Singing. It's annoying." Her sister starts walking faster, leaving Cartier behind.

Cartier tries to ignore her sister's rudeness because deep down she likes to believe that Glitter does indeed love her very much but she's too embarrassed to admit it so she masks it under hatefulness.

That is what Cartier does, she tries to find the best in people even if there is very little good to be found.

When they arrive at the academy, Glitter leaves her sister behind immediately to go and train with her friends.

Taking out a box of chocolates from her backpack, Cartier puts on a big smile and frolics around the training center, offering little chocolate pralines to the other trainees and trainers.

"Wow, thank you, Cartier! You're so nice"

"You just made my day!"

"They're so good, where'd you gettem?"

Cartier giggles. She loves it when she makes people happy. She loves it when they thank her. She loves it when they love her. It is why she does everything in life. There is no person in the district who doesn't like Cartier… even Glitter. Glitter has to love her own sister, right? There's no way she doesn't love Cartier. There can't be. Everyone loves District One's beam of joy.

Cartier gives a quick glance to her sister but all she can see is the fury in her eyes. No matter how hard Cartier tries to convince herself that that person, her dear sister, actually loves her, she can't forget the constant abuse.

Glitter struts elegantly to her sister, holding a dagger made of oranian Steel. It's a beautiful and deadly weapon, the hilt covered with small rubies and a big gemstone in the middle that shimmers, catching Cartier's attention every time. Her parents gave it to her for her 18th Birthday. It's supposed to give her luck. Cartier's whole family depends on Glitter being picked as the volunteer this year. She's been overworking herself more than she usually did to get that spot. As a matter of fact, everyone has been working really hard to get chosen for the Quell.

"What are you doing?" Glitter grabs Cartier's shoulder and squeezes it but Cartier keeps on smiling. She has to.

"Everybody has been tiring themselves so much lately so I thought I'd bring some delights to the Academy. Want one?" Cartier offers her sister a praline.

Glitter scoffs and squeezes her sister's shoulder tighter. "You really think I'm just as stupid and foolish as the rest of these idiots, no my dearest darling sister, I don't buy your golden girl act and I never have. Your desperate grab for attention has become a miserable sight to behold…" she squeezes even harder, making Cartier wince. "Yes, you might be the darling at home, the sweet little pea, the frail snowflake but I will crush you and your façade when the moment is right. When I come back from the Games as the true victor our District needs, nobody will remember the pathetic girl that used to smile her way through the day and give sweets to strangers. You'll be forgotten.

"Y-your hurting me…"

"Good, I want you to feel my pain, I want you to know what it feels like to – "

"Mrs. Pyrite, don't you have somewhere to be?" Alby, Cartier's instructor, warns Glitter.

Immediately Glitter releases her grip from Cartier.

"Of course, I'm terribly sorry. We were just having small talk, weren't we, sister?"

"Y-yes of course, hehe."

And with that Glitter struts back to her training station.

Cartier is hurt. Not by the actual physical pain or by what her sister said but because she was right. Cartier always knew that her sister was the only one who noticed her desperate longing for appreciation, how Cartier craved love although she had enough of it at home… maybe it was selfish or maybe it wasn't. Maybe it reveals something about Cartier that she, herself, doesn't even know.

Alby is waiting for Cartier at the target station. Picking up her favorite weapon, the crossbow, Cartier positions herself at the marked, 'X' on the floor. She lifts the weapon to her eye level, focuses on the target, waits until her hands stop shaking and, finally, pushes the trigger. The arrow cuts through the air and hits the target.

Bullseye.

Alby claps. "That's my girl! Always had a talent for hitting your targets from afar, didn't you?" she laughs. Cartier can't deny it. She really was talented with the crossbow. She did know how to use a bow and arrow and throwing knives but the crossbow was by far her favorite. Her preferred close range weapon was the spear but if it was between that and a crossbow, she'd still pick the latter.

"Thank you, Alby," Cartier says with a hint of sugar coating in her voice. She knew she was never going to get picked for the Games but she didn't mind. At least her sister would get what she longed for and, who knows, maybe Glitter would come back from the Games as a new and improved person and maybe the two could finally have the sisterly bond Cartier always dreamed about.

* * *

Cartier has already known her district partner, Brycen, from before they were picked for the Games so she was happy to see him as her partner. The two of them were never extremely close but she was always nice to him and he returned the kindness.

"Cartier! Good to see you," he greets her properly once they enter the train, enveloping her in a big hug.

"I'm glad we're partners, to be honest," Cartier admits. She's seen his archery skills and they are out of this world. She doesn't quite understand how he does it.

After the two of them ate and talked and discussed some plans with the mentors, Cartier headed back to her cabin. It's quite a small room and yet modern in its own way. She turns on the lights. A big window next to her bed gives her an amazing view of the outside nature. Guessing by the many pine trees, they should be passing by District Seven now.

She lies on her bed and brings her knees close to her chest. She lies there a while longer like an embryo.

She's going to have to kill people to get home. She's a career. It's expected from her. She hasn't really ever given a lot of thought to killing people, what it would feel like or how it would affect her. Quickly, she pushes the thought back into a dark corner of her body where she likes to store all of the negativity and the pain. There's no space for pain. Not in her life. She wonders for how long she'll be able to store all of these emotions until she can't hold them anymore.

* * *

 **Brycen Rosenthal, 18, District One**

* * *

Five months before the reapings:

Stepping out of his family's mansion, Brycen breathes in the fresh morning air. The aroma of roses and tulips and orchids and fire lilies protrudes into his nostrils. He cracks a smile as he watches the peacocks strut through their backyard. Brycen approaches their collection of rare and exotic flowers. But it is not the Hydrangea his eyes fall on, or the Gloriosa, or the Kinabalu Orchids, but The Queen of Sorrow. The rarest flower in all of Panem. He absorbs its beautiful scent and rolls his eyes with pleasure.

His father, Drake, has quite a lot of money in District One but he hasn't gotten the one thing he truly desires: A spot on the Capitol Council. It's been his dream to become a powerful politician in the Capitol and Brycen can't blame him. Everyone loves power. Brycen does too.

The reason why they have as much money, here in One, as they do is that Brycen won the lottery six years ago and his life changed after that. Not because they had more money but because it was the beginning of a streak of good fortune. Of luck. He doesn't know why it happened but after that day Lady Luck was by his side, or no, she grabbed his arm from that day on and led him to where he is now and he willingly, no, blindly followed her because he knew she'd never abandon him… and she never did.

"Breakfast is ready, son," his stepmother, Lorelei, called him. She was like a real mother to Brycen and he was like a real son to her.

"Coming, mother!" before turning away from the flower garden, he gave the Queen of Sorrow one last look.

The dining table, covered with huge plates of eggs, sausages, scones, pancakes, cheeses, and fruits, was a beautiful sight to behold. Brycen loves his life.

His father is reading the newspaper while Lorelei brings one last plate to the dining room.

"Eat up!" she shouts with glee.

Immediately, Brycen covers his plate with piles of food and devours it like it was his last meal on earth. He gulps down his coffee and pours the orange juice into a bottle which he puts in his bag.

"Hey, hey, hey, calm down, would you? You're going to choke on the food, honey." Lorelei smiles at him.

"Sorry, mother, I'm late and my trainer said he'd give me detention if I wasn't on time. The food was delicious, thank you."

Before Lorelei had the opportunity to answer, her son was already gone.

Brycen walks down the hill to the academy. It's only ten minutes away so he didn't have to hurry too much. Brycen became increasingly popular in his District for being the ace. He was gifted, everyone thought. They all admired him but he also saw the envy in their eyes and he loved it. All of them thought he was a prodigy and they all wanted to be just like him. Everything Brycen did was effortless because he didn't actually have to do anything. It was like the day he went fishing with his father and accidentally caught the extremely rare Ongoro Fanata Fish. It just looked like a normal fish to him but when he went to sell it to the merchant, he looked at Brycen with big eyes and from that day on, he was known as the fish whisperer. A silly name but Brycen didn't mind. He never minded as long as he seemed special to everyone. It was all luck but they didn't know.

No one could know about Brycen's secret relationship with the lady of good fortune.

"Hm, you're on time. For once," Obelisk, his trainer, said. "Go to the target section and get warmed up until I get ready."

Following Obelisk's instructions, Brycen makes his way to the targets. The target range was outside during summer so the trainees could get some fresh air while training. Right on time, the wind blew, giving Brycen his signal. Now is the time. He pulled the string back and released his grip on the arrow, firing it so that it hits the center of the target.

It was awfully quiet and Brycen soon realized that he had a little audience. The two boys, Caleb and Brom, were whispering about him, he could tell. Mirabelle was eyeing him closely. She was the one he liked to impress the most. Cartier was the only one jumping up and down whilst clapping her hands. She was a sweet and bubbly girl and he did enjoy her company but once she'd open her mouth and start to talk, she wouldn't stop until you found an excuse to disappear.

Now that he has himself an audience, it's time to put on a show. Brycen picks up three arrows and walks away from the target until he's got about fifteen meters distance between him and his mark.

He shoots one arrow but instead of shooting it at the target he shoots a bit to the right so that it seemed like he'd missed. The two boys start to giggle, actually believing that he'd not done it on purpose. Smartasses. He trusted in the Lady and he knew she'd be there and she was. The flying arrow started to curve mid-air as the wind seemed to steer the arrow in the wanted direction until finally, it hits the bullseye. The two boys, mouths wide open, staring at him in disbelief. Ah, Brycen loves himself. He can see the envy all over their faces.

But he's not done yet. Brycen shoots the other two other arrows directly at the target. The first arrow also lands bullseye, splitting the already existent one in half as it makes its mark while the third arrow does the same to the second. Mirabelle gives him a slow clap while Cartier continues to jump all over the place.

Slowly but arrogantly Brycen walks over to the two boys. "Don't laugh until it's over, ok buddy?" he says with a cocky grin, patting Caleb on the shoulder while he ruffles Brom's hair. "Well, I gotta go but it was so nice of you two to stop by and learn from the best." He knew he was pushing it sometimes but he couldn't care less. They all looked at him like he was a god.

* * *

"… yes I see what you mean, Cat, but I honestly think we should start talking about the Games," he interrupts Cartier during her long speech about why she thought dogs were better than cats.

"Oh, right, oh my god, look at me, talking again, like I always do. Sorry, I'm such a clutch. I'm just so excited, aren't you? I mean– "

"Cartier."

"Sorry."

"So, this Quell's twist makes things quite unpredictable for us. I hope you know that. Although both of us were picked randomly, I for hubris and you for exuberance, I think both of us are quite skilled fighters so we should have no problem. My worry is, however, about the other careers. Because of this twist, many were chosen that usually wouldn't qualify. I've watched the reaping recap and the only other strong looking career is the girl from Two. The boy from Two doesn't look like he could kill someone and the pair from Four are quite young although the girl does have some fierceness in her. What I'm trying to say is that it might be easier if we didn't join the careers because-"

"Can I suggest something?" Cartier interrupts.

"Of course, Cat."

"I think it's a bad Idea to judge a book by its cover. I suggest we first meet the careers and see how well they fair and then we can decide if we want to stay or now. Deal?"

"Deal."

The two of them shake hands.

* * *

 **Hey, there people! So, here we've met Brycen and Cartier. Two characters I like a lot! I'd like to thank Paradigm and Romeo for sending these two lovelies in and I look forward to exploring them more in the future.**

 **I have one spot which I have opened up and that is the District 8 Female. If many submit I'll pick the best but if only one person submits, you are the lucky winner! Deadline: 12th of March. You can send me a notification if you plan on submitting but need more time! You can also find lore on my verse on my profile. So check that out if you want to. Nothing important just for fun.**

 **Anyway, I'd like to thank all of you who have reviewed every chapter so far. You guys truly are amazing and I love reading what you think about the characters! For those who haven't found the time yet: I don't expect a big review or anything but just a sign that you're following because it keeps me motivated. So do try and get a review in. ( It also strengthens the odds of your tribute doing well! ) :D**

 **Anyway, what do you think of the two? Who do you prefer? Who do you think will survive longer? Could they be potential victors?**

 **Peace out dudes and I'll see all of you next time with another introduction chapter!**


	7. District 7: Sloth and Charisma

**Douglas Abies, 16, District 7**

* * *

One year before the reapings:

It is pouring rain and yet everyone is standing in a row, quietly sobbing. Douglas can see each and every single one of them. He can feel what they feel. Maybe that's what makes funerals so special. A collection of people assembled with each one feeling the same as the others. Each one grieving. Each one trying to swallow the pain but failing.

It's been three days since his friend, Orion, was stabbed by a robber and left to die on the streets all alone on the cold, dry pavement.

Douglas looks over to his sister, Shasta. Beautiful Shasta. Only seventeen and yet she's as smart as any adult he's ever known. He throws a glance at his younger brother, Fraser. So mature and diplomatic. You'd almost think that he's a politician. If anything were to happen to them, he wouldn't be able to take it. Never.

As per usual there are peacekeepers roaming the area. They're watching them closely. The Capitol isn't dumb. Douglas has to admit that. People do stupid things when they are emotional and a gathering of sorrowful people is the perfect occasion for something stupid to happen. Ever since the _White Dove Massacre_ , the Capitol has made sure to deploy a handful of guards to keep everything under control.

There is one peacekeeper, however, that Douglas can't stop looking at. One peacekeeper who doesn't deserve to be here… who shouldn't be here.

Everyone was told that Orion was brutally murdered and robbed on the streets by a criminal but the only real criminal here is that fella over there, keeping watch. Douglas saw it all and he knows something that none of them know.

 _It was around 9:30 pm when Douglas was on his way back home from the grocery store. His parents had forced him out of the house, told him he needed some fresh air. He hated it when his parents told him what to do but he wasn't in the mood for a heated dispute, so he did as he was told._

 _To Douglas' surprise, he'd actually enjoyed the walk. The night air was refreshing and the smell of dark woods filled the town._

 _Lachfester, that was the name of his town. Known to be the most boring and uninteresting area in Seven. The only eventful thing that had ever happened was the White Dove Massacre which was a brutal outbreak during a funeral. All of a sudden the people started to riot and lose their shit because their loved one had been hanged. That managed to bring Lachfester into the spotlight for a while but soon after the Back Alley Murders in Nine and the disease outbreak in Eleven, the Massacre became old news and Lachfester returned to the being the forgotten town that it has always been._

 _At one point Douglas came across a divide in the road. One street went uphill while the other continued straight ahead. As always Douglas made his way up the hill to his family's cottage. He had a good view of the streets below. They were completely empty except for a certain young man strolling all alone on the passageway. Was that Orion? Douglas approached the fence and was about to call for his best friend but then he saw something which he probably shouldn't have…_

 _Lieutenant Ellyore was on patrol. Fuck. Ellyore was known to be the worst of the worst. He loved to bully weak and vulnerable people. He loved blackmail and would do anything to have even the smallest leverage over someone. This was not good at all._

 _Douglas couldn't hear what they were talking about but judging by Ellyore's hand gesture and Orion's facial expression, it looked like the lieutenant was after some quick cash. Douglas knew Orion well… well enough to know that there was no way in hell that Orion would give up the money he had worked so hard on earning._

" _Bro, don't touch me!" That was about the only thing Douglas was able to hear before Ellyore took out his knife from its sheath and embedded it into his friend's chest and slowly twisted it as he placed the young boy ever so gently on the cold pavement floor. The peacekeeper had a wicked grin smothered across his face… like he actually enjoyed it. Before Orion faded away completely, Ellyore mumbled something into his ear, gathering all of his belongings and leaving the corpse in the dark._

 _Douglas couldn't do anything. What was he supposed to do? Run up the guys and beat the shit out of him? Chase him and a yell "murderer" just to get himself killed as well? No. Douglas wasn't stupid. Quietly he continued walking up the hill, tears running down his face, his hand covering his mouth, preventing any wince from escaping his lips._

 _The next day it was all over the news: "16-year-old stabbed by a robber." Yes, that is what the true killer had told them. An embarrassingly easy way to get out of a sticky situation and yet it was surprisingly effective._

Douglas keeps making eye-contact over and over again with that peacekeeper but as soon as Ellyore returns the glance, Douglas looks down to his wet shoes like a good puppy dog. It's always been like that. It is the way of life Douglas picked for himself. There are two types of people: The ones who lead and the ones who follow. Douglas follows.

It is so much easier to live a life free of trouble, free of stress, free of pain when you just close your eyes and keep your mouth shut. Did Douglas say anything when Orion's father was hanged? No, why get himself into so much trouble if he can just be silent? Does Douglas ever speak up in class and give his opinion on the matter at hand? No, never. Why risk getting into a potential dispute over a stupid matter? And did Douglas speak up when he saw his friend murdered by a peacekeeper? No, who would believe him and why risk getting himself executed and potentially his family as well. It wasn't worth it. None of it was.

So, while all of these people cry over Orion, thinking it was a pathetic robber who took his life, Douglas cries, knowing who the actual killer is.

Douglas is known to be the chill dude in his school. Laid back and never participates, always distracted, always doing something else, always too lazy to work on projects. What none of them know, however, is that he acts the way he does for a reason.

And, now, here he stands. He has a chance to change everything but his voice is silent, it will always be silent. Always, until he dies of old age, never having caught anyone's attention, never having done anything bad but just gotten by. Survived if you will.

That is How Douglas Abbies is planning on living the rest of his days. Unnoticed.

* * *

"Oh my god! What's wrong?" Zura, his district partner, runs over to him, putting her arm around his neck and holding his hand with the other.

They've barely made it onto the train and Douglas has already broken out in tears. It was honestly not the impression he wanted to give off to his partner, not at all. He wanted to come off as calm and collected and yet here he is, crying on his bed with this girl hugging him tightly.

"I-I don't know, okay? It's just… It's a lot, you know?" he sobs uncontrollably. _Damn it._ he looks like the weakest piece of trash to have ever walked the surface of this world.

"Hey, hey. Look at me… It's okay to be sad, go it? There's no reason for you not to be. This is a shit situation we've gotten ourselves into. Your not the first to get emotional and you won't be the last," she says quietly. "Just don't let the mentors see you like this because if you don't show potential, they won't make an effort with you."

"I j-just need to calm down… calm down… calm down…" Every time he says it, he feels his heart rate decrease and a few seconds later, he's back to normal. "Sorry about that," he chuckles. "That really wasn't the way I wanted to present myself." Douglas lets out another laugh.

"It's fine, don't worry about it." Zura offers him a smile. "In case you don't know yet, my name is Zura but please just call me Zu, it's easier."

"Ok, cool. I'm Douglas and… you can call me Douglas." He cringes at his attempt to be funny and yet Zu giggles."

"Perfect, so now that we have the boring formalities out of the way, do you wanna talk strategy or we could just grab some food and watch television, whatever you feel like doing."

"I guess it would be beneficial for both of us if we met up with our mentor, huh?"

the two leap out of Douglas' bed and make their way to the common area. It's a gorgeous room and to Douglas' surprise not modern. Instead, the compartment is rather old fashioned and has the kind of furniture designs he'd seen in his history books which he never really bothered to read. A gigantic, gold-framed painting hangs on the wall. Some… Capitolite was on it. The way he watched over everything from his canvas was intimidating. Regal, posh, arrogant, all traits which Douglas would avoid if he wanted to go by unnoticed and yet he can't help but admire this figure in front of him.

"Millfront St. Pearlstone," a voice says from the other side of the room. It was Voltrie, their mentor. Putting down the newspaper and setting his glasses on the table, he gets up from his seat. "Never heard of him?" The two shake their heads. "God, I always wondered what you kids learned in school these days. Not all that much by the looks of it. But I'm not here to teach you about History, am I? No, what you need to learn his how to survive so please make yourselves comfortable and let us get started."

* * *

 **Zura Mukite, 17, District 7**

 **POV Trigger Warning: Domestic abuse**

* * *

2 months before the reapings:

"I can't believe it. Lyra is already asleep!" Zura's twin brother, Zeke, shouts.

"Shhh, you'll wake her up," their little sister, Ophilia, gestures for her brother to come over.

"Oh, shoot you're right." Zeke tiptoes over to his sisters. "Sometimes I can't believe that she's not actually our sister. I just feel so… connected to her."

"Yeah, totally. I'm sure the two of you can also communicate telepathically, that's how strong your bond is," Zura mocks.

"Don't be an asshole." her brother rolls his eyes.

"Ok, I'm sorry but I get what you mean, I really do. She feels like family and that's good. That's how it's supposed to be."

Lyra is their adoptive sister, she's the daughter of Ithaca and Lenard Kidden. Soon after Zu and her siblings were brought to the adoption center, the Kidden's took them in and ever since then, she and her siblings were finally able to lead a normal life… a life without abuse and pain and suffering.

"I'm gonna head down and grab some snacks, you guys want any?" Ophilia asks.

"Nah, I'm good," Zeke says, resting his hand on his stomach.

"How can you refuse desert you monster? Bring the mango ice cream with you, k?" Zura takes her cardigan off, revealing a purple tank top."

Ophilia runs downstairs to try and gather whatever she can find.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" her brother's tone changes completely.

"Do what?" Zu asks although she already knows what Zeke is trying to say.

"The cardigan, do you think it's a good Idea to take it off… Ophilia could see."

"She won't. She never does." Zu runs a hand through her chestnut hair.

"But what if?"

"Zeke…"

"No, we made a promise. We said we'd never let her know what truly went down back then. She doesn't deserve to be exposed to the horrors. I won't let her."

"Zeke, I can't walk around covering myself forever. One day we'll have to tell her."

"Not now, okay? Now is not the time. We don't know how she'll react if she sees your scars, we don't know if-"

"I'm baaaaack." Ophilia plops herself next to Zura and places the snacks in the middle.

"Oh, yumm!" Zura claps her hands together. "Let's dig in." She throws one last glance over at Zeke. He's still looking at her, slowly shaking his head.

Ten minutes later and the room is a mess. Cheese powder is everywhere, Ophilia's fingers are drenched in chocolate sauce, and Zura's face is covered with mango cream. They laugh, they forget.

"Lemme get some tissues." Ophilia disappears behind Zu.

Zura closes her eyes. She's happy, she's excited about her new life, she's ready to leave the past in the past and only look forward where the bright light is calling for her. That light is ripped from her vision, however, when a cold hand touches her spine.

"Oh my god, what is that?" Ophilia bends down to get a better look. Zu clenches her fists and looks down at the floor. She doesn't dare face Zeke. "Zu, are you okay? What happened?"

Every time her sister touches her back, Zu cringes until she can't take it anymore.

"I- I need a minute." She runs to the bathroom and locks herself in.

 _Fuck._

She scratches her arms and her hair and starts to hyperventilate. She can feel the flames engulf her. They're everywhere. They're all around her. They're melting her skin away, tearing her apart, turning her to ash, turning her into nothing. They dance around her, her demons. They laugh, they mock, they pull her away from the light and back into the dark pit of the past.

She can feel it all. Like it was yesterday. Zura's not in the present anymore. She's back there, back where she never wanted to return again. She can feel her fathers grip. The way he dragged her into the forest, the way he smelled of alcohol. She can feel him chocking her but then releasing his grip as soon as she's about to lose consciousness.

"Get away from me, please…" Zura whispers, dropping to the bathroom floor.

"Zu, are you good?" she sighs with relief when she hears her brother from the other side.

"Open the door."

Zura struggles to get up. She doesn't know for how long she's been in here, she's lost all sense of time.

"Save me…" she says when unlocking the door and falls into her brother's arms.

"I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry. I shouldn't have been so hard on you," he cries. "It's time we tell Ophilia everything…" he wipes the tears from his face and the two of them make their way back to the room.

There Ophilia sits, her innocence about to be shattered, her obliviousness destroyed. Zura takes Ophilia's right hand and Zeke her left.

"Uhm… so-"

"Our parents weren't the best of people," Zura interrupts. "I'm sure you know that already, don't you?"

Ophilia nods.

"You know how mom always smelled of drugs and dad was always drunk, right?'"

Ophilia nods again.

"Well, you see… dad wasn't the happiest of people. He wasn't really happy with his job… or perhaps even with his life and that's what got him into drinking. His life made him angry… and the same way that when you get mad, you get a little aggressive, dad did too… he let his anger out on us. On Zeke and I. He never touched you, we didn't let him and his wife, our mother, was too dazed for him to find pleasure in hurting her so we were the only ones left."

Zura can see that Ophilia's eyes are starting to tear up.

"Maybe we should stop." Zu looks over to Zeke.

"No, it's fine. I want to know. I need to know."

"Ok, well one day when he was especially mad, he took me out into the woods." Zura feels a shiver rush through her body and she wants to go back to that bathroom and lock herself away again, away from everyone. "He wanted to see some 'fireworks' that's what he told me…" she gulps. "Before I was really able to understand what he meant by that… well… he actually set me on fire… I don't really remember how he did it but all of a sudden I only saw bright colors everywhere and I felt a stinging pain in my back and that's when I realized what he did to me." Zu takes a sip of water. "Luckily, Zeke saw everything and came with a fire extinguisher before it escalated and the ambulance, together with the police, came and picked us up… and yeah, that's why we're here now, with this very kind family who treats us like we should have been treated from the very beginning."

"That's… that's horrible. I can't believe I didn't get any of that… why didn't I do anything? Why was I so stupid?"

"No, Ophilia. It makes me so happy to know that Zeke and I did our job and kept you safe, away from the dangers and the cruel world."

"I just wish that… I wish that…" before Ophilia can finish, she breaks into tears and her two siblings wrap her in a big hug.

"Shh… you're okay. We're okay."

* * *

It's been five hours since they got onto the train and Her district partner fell asleep on the couch. Their mentor, Voltrie, already gave them some advice about their social game and gave them some basic survival tips.

Zura opens a Capitolite magazine. She's startled when she sees all of the bright colors and the freakishly dressed people… if she can still call them that. Zura is only able to recognize one of the many models. Olympis O'Krii. She's quite known, even in Seven. Zura's lucky to live in the main city of her District. It allows her to be part of the bigger community.

"Psst, you there. C'mere," her mentor calls for her. She slams the magazine on the table and gets up. "Shhhh, don't wake the boy up."

Zura doesn't like that. What does he want from her?

As soon as they get to another compartment, Voltrie cuts to the chase. "Listen, you're a pretty girl. Extremely pretty if I may say so myself. You know how I won my games, right? I got into a strong alliance and stuck with them and when the time was right, I was the first to turn on them… killed each one of them in their sleep. no mercy." he chuckles. "But that's beside the point. What I'm trying to say is that you have no chance with Douglas. Do you think I didn't see him crying over there and panicking? Not a good sign. I'm going to try and help you a little because I sense potential in you, potential that he doesn't have, not with his state of mind. Get yourself into a strong alliance. Period. Flirt a little, smile a little, giggle if you have to but do anything to make people like you. It won't be difficult for you. Don't get stuck with him, it'll be bad for your game. Once you get into a strong alliance, I'll teach you how to weave yourself into that sweet-spot and outmaneuver everyone from there. What do you think of my proposal?"

Zura pores herself a glass of water and drinks it slowly. When she's done, she looks straight into Voltrie's eyes and tilts her head a little playfully.

"You know what I think, Voltrie?" she starts. "I think you can shove that proposal up your ass. That's what I think. Have a good night."

Without looking back, she leaves the compartment. Zura won't betray Douglas. What role model would she be to her sisters if she did?

Zura leaps onto the couch, opposite to Douglas and closes her eyes.

* * *

 **So, here we have Douglas Abies by Audmirable and Zura Mukite by Lex. Thank you so much for these two awesome guys and I already know in what direction I'm going in for these two and lemme tell you, they're going to have a turbulent ride ;)**

 **The next Chapter will be covering District Four and, hopefully, it will be out by next week.**

 **Ah! Almost forgot. Congrats Tiger Outsider on getting The D8F spot. I liked all of my submissions but it came down to the fact that some people already had at least one tribute in my story and newcomers are always welcome. WE HAVE A FULL ROSTER NOW! EVERYONE IS OFFICIALLY SUBMITTED, YAAY!**

 **I'm happy with how things are going so far. Thank you to everyone who is frequently reviewing. Don't know what I'd do without you guys. I get inspired by what everyone comments on the chapters so please do leave a review :D**

 **See you all next time!**


	8. District 4: Respect and Envy

**Thethys Kaipo, 14, District 4**

* * *

Seven months before the reapings:

The Uguagu is the rarest fish that can be found in Four. It is said to be more beautiful than the Ongoro Fanata and even more dangerous than the Great White. With a length of 67.8 feet, it overtakes the Whale Shark as the biggest shark in Panem. It lures its prey with its two green glowing antennas that protrude out of its head. To catch the Uguagu is every fisherman's dream. It is also Thethys Kaipo's dream.

"Do you think we'll ever catch it, Dad?" Thethys looks at his father with hope. They've been at sea for about five hours now, since 5 am, to catch today's fish. It was always best to get up as early as possible before all of the other fishermen made their way to the ocean. Things can get quite competitive, especially on weekends when the market is usually packed. The ocean was like a battleground for the fishermen and however caught the most valuable fish or in general the largest amount fish would have the most success at selling their bounty. However, it wasn't only a competition. Since there are always so many people out at sea, it was a great opportunity to get to know new people. It's also how Thethys got to meet Jax, one of his best friends.

"It might not be today and it might not be the day after or the one after that but one day we will, I promise you that, Thethys. Now, however, we need to be focusing on something else." Khari ruffles his son's hair.

"You're right, dad. It's just that… I don't know… imagine we actually do catch it? How cool would that be?!" Thethys shouts, a little bit too loudly perhaps since the other fishermen turn their heads towards the Kaipo's boat.

Kahri raises his hand and signals to the other fishermen that everything is fine and with that, they all go back to doing their own business.

"Thethys, what did we say about raising your voice out at sea?"

"It scares away the fish… sorry," Thethys says, looking down at his feet.

"All good, son." His father offers him a smile. "Another… hm, maybe 10 kilograms of fish and we should be good for today. I'm going to try and throw the net in from a different angle, maybe we'll have more luck then." Khari makes his way to the other side of the boar, leaving Thethys to do some calm fishing on his own.

Thethys attaches a bobber to the fishing line in order to keep it afloat, he then proceeds to grab a worm from the tin and pierces it with the hook. "Sorry little guy."

He pulls the rod back and thrusts it forward quickly. It could take quite a while for him to actually catch something so he sits down and waits.

He looks back at his father. One day he'll be just like him: strong, courageous, wise and generally awesome. It's no secret that Thethys admires his father beyond belief. Growing up, he's always had a close bond to him. He taught him how to fish and how to provide if something might ever happen to him. Khari, however, didn't only teach his son how to angle. He also taught him respect and kindness.

Every day, after having caught enough fish, the two of them leave the boat at the harbor and head down to _Coral Avenue._ There they would feed the poor and supply them with enough food. It was a tradition. Thethys wasn't supposed to pity the homeless but have respect and know that their life is much harder, that is what his father always told him and so he did. The Kaipo's were famous around _Coral Avenue._ They were the ones who always brought the food, they weren't like all the rest. They didn't just turn their heads and pretend not to notice, in order to feel better about themselves. They weren't selfish.

Thethys looks at the shores ahead. He can spot a few trainees doing their morning exercises and if he's right, one of them is Andromeda, his other best friend. She's from a wealthier family in Four and her parents are extremely competitive and want her to volunteer for the Games.

Sometimes Thethys wishes he could be like them. He's always wanted to train like all the others, to hold a blade in his hands but his parents wouldn't allow it. They don't like the Games and they never will. They forbade Thethys from participating in the HGEP ( Hunger Games Educational Program ). Tributes from Four tend to be generally strange. Some would call them the neutral careers. Some years there would be fierce volunteers and some years there wouldn't be a single volunteer so the kids had to be reaped. Tributes from Four weren't like the ones from One and Two. There were some years where they would be accepted into the career pack and other years where they weren't allowed to join, those years usually being the ones where there weren't any volunteers. This is why children in Four were allowed to go in one of two ways. They could do to HGEP and be trained for the Games or they could do the normal educational program, which restricted them from ever volunteering. Thethys' parents didn't allow him to participate in the Games and he fully understands why. Although Thethys would never hurt anyone, he does sometimes wish that he could be like all the others.

Suddenly, the bobber disappeared under the water and Thethys feels a nudge at the line and after that a pull. Thethys face beams with excitement. He wasn't going to call his dad for help. He wanted to show him that he could do it by himself. Thethys pulls the rod back with a lot of force but the fish isn't showing any signs of weakness. Thethys can feel the rod slipping away from his hands due to the sweat but he wasn't going to let it happen. This is his chance to prove himself. It's the perfect test. As soon as he feels the slightest bit of improvement, the fishing rod drops from his hands and is pulled towards the ocean. Rapidly, Thethys sprints and tries to grab the rod before it disappears into the water and he does so successfully. The only problem: half his body weight is outside of the boat. Before he can pull himself back on board, he plunges into the deep blue.

"Thethys?!"

He can hear his father shouting his name as he resurfaces, sprinkling out water from his mouth.

"I'm-," he coughs. "I lost the road," he says, shaking his head to the right to try and get the water out of it.

Thethys expected his father to fume with anger but was pleasantly surprised when he started to laugh out loud.

"W-what… What were you do-doing w-," almost unable to catch his breath, Kahri tries to form words but fails miserably, falling to the ground.

"It's not funny… I wanted you to be proud."

Kahri reaches for his son's hand to help aboard. "Son, no matter how often you mess up, I'll always be proud of you." He gives Thethys a big pat on the back.

"Ouch."

"Man up."

"Sorry."

"I'm joking."

* * *

I'll be honest here.." their mentor, Norval, starts. "The two of you don't really stand a chance at joining the career pack."

Norval, Thethys and his district partner, Vale, had just finished watching the reaping recap and are now sitting together with the television switched off.

"I was hoping that perhaps because of this year's twist the competition might be less hard and thus giving you a chance at entering the pack, but after watching this, I know that they won't allow for it to happen. There are plenty of other options to choose from and two fourteen-year-olds won't make the cut."

Thethys stares at his mentor with big eyes and nods affirmatively. Vale, however, doesn't seem to be pleased by what he's saying. She doesn't say anything but its obvious since she rolls her eyes and sighs with boredom at a consistent basis.

"I know it sounds harsh but it's the truth and it's better for the two of you to know now than later on and be unprepared and disappointed. This is a weird twist and the career pack is also going to be quite strange but we have to be prepared. Don't worry, I'm not counting the two of you out. With a little bit of work, I'll turn you into strong competitors and you can take the competition by storm. Try and get to know each other, try and find other allies and no matter how the other careers treat you, don't let it get to you. Don't let it mess up your own Game." He leans in closer and raises a finger. "One of you will make it back home alive and bring glory to your district, I'll make sure of that."

All of a sudden the girl, who's been displeased quietly gets up and crosses her arms. "No, no, no. _I_ will come home victorious. Not him. _Me."_ And with that she leaves the room, grabbing a sandwich and a yogurt on her way out.

Norval puts a hand on Thethys shoulder. "Girls, am I right?"

"Uh, y-yes sir," he chuckles, cringing internally at Norval's attempt to relate. "I'll go and check up on her."

"Dinner at Eight. See ya."

"Understood."

* * *

 **Vale Neptunia, 14, District 4**

 **POV Trigger Warning: Gore**

* * *

Two months before the reapings:

 _Replay._

 _Replay._

 _Again._

 _One more time._

Vale looks at her laptop screen with big and focused eyes, one of which has turned red from hours and hours of being exposed to the computer screen. Her room is completely dark with bags of chips lying around everywhere. She hasn't been outside in two days. She's too focused on analyzing, analyzing her aunt's Games.

Morgana is one of the more popular victors from Four and also Vale's aunt. Before her Games, she was still emotional. Emotional like an actual human being. But the Games changed her. The Games change everyone.

Vale has watched her Games 99 times and today would be the 100th. After the interviews and the reveal of the scores, the Games begin.

The Bloodbath.

Vale watches as Morgana springs to the cornucopia. Being the first one to arrive, she grabs a spear and throws a backpack around her shoulder. She watches the other tributes carefully and keeps an eye on everyone. Her fellow careers have finally also made it to the middle. Now, all that's left to do is gather as many things as possible and get a few kills under her belt. Morgana shoves the back of the spear into the boy from Ten's face, making him fall to the ground and bleed from his nose. Before he is able to recover, she ends his life with a quick pierce in the stomach. Together, the careers kill six tributes in the bloodbath.

Now is the phase of the Games that vale hates. The waiting phase.

Vale skips ahead since she's seen this boring interlude plenty of times already. She wants to get to the interesting part. The part where her aunt finally loses it.

There it is. The confrontation.

So far, everything has been going great for the careers. They killed a bunch of people, they have plenty of supplies and they have a good camping spot on top of a hill from which they can see everything. The only problem is doubt. There's a lot of doubt. It seems like that year's Games had a lot of careers who were eager to make big moves, each looking for a reason to break free from the pack and make the first move. That is why when a sword goes missing, accusations start to fly around and everyone blames everyone for anything until the boy from One stabs the Girl from Two and all hell breaks loose. Since 50 years, the careers have never betrayed each other this early on in the Games but it seems like it's time for a new record to be broken. After the girl from Two bleeds out, the boy from Two, Cesar, slits the boy from One's throat. The girl from One, Silver, cries out and runs to Morgana. The two of them have been particularly close since the beginning. The Cesar is fuming with anger because of the loss of his partner and is about to avenge her by killing Silver as well. Morgana's district partner, however, tries to calm everyone down and stands between him and the two girls. That… wasn't a good idea. Cesar takes out his sword and embeds it in Four's chest, causing blood to spew everywhere. Vale can hear her aunt, covered in her partner's blood and holding Silver in her arms scream and cry over her partner's death. It wasn't over. It was too late to be over now. Cesar raises his sword and is about to bring it down on the two girls but Silver pushes Morgana away, taking the hit alone. The sword cracks her skull open and she falls to the floor but before Cesar can focus his attention at Morgana, he finds a blade stuck in his chest. Silver must have managed to stab him before he could get her first. He takes the dagger out but is too weak to stand up straight and collapses next to Silver.

Quietly Morgana wales next to the pile of corpses with Silver still in her arms. A few minutes ago, they were all a happy family and now everyone's dead except for her. She should have been dead too but Silver saved her. She shouldn't have, she didn't have to. But she did it anyway.

After that massacre, Morgana's mentality changed completely. It was like a hidden switch was turned on inside of her, unleashing a cold-blooded killer with no empathy whatsoever. Everyone thought that the career stood no chance anymore but they didn't expect the girl from Four to end up killing half of the competition. Soon after the slaughter feast, Morgana found the young boy from Eight and strangle him in his sleep. After that, she found the girl from Ten. She had killed her partner in the blood bath. She was especially angry and dashed at Morgana but with a quick knife throw to the face, the girl was living no more. Next up she found the girl from Eleven, pleading for her life. Did Morgana show mercy? No. At the feast, Morgana killed the boy from Three and the boy from Nine in a bloody battle where she was strongly injured. Thankfully she found some bandages at that feast. In the final two, it was her and the girl from Six. Six was quite a tough cookie but not tough enough because when she sprinted at Morgana, she…

"Vale, come down right now! I'm not asking again!" her mother shouts. With a big sigh, vale closes her laptop, turns on the lights and joins her mother at the dinner table.

The only sound being produced comes from the kitchen utensils. An awkward silence fills the room but Vale's used to it.

"Did you train hard at school?"

"Yes, mom… obviously."

"What did the trainers say?"

"I dunno, they're happy, I guess." Vale pokes the meat on her plate.

"Eat the greens, honey. What do you mean you guess? Can you still improve? Are there still people better than you? Actually, have you reached the top ten of the academy yet?"

"I'm full." Vale gets up from the table and turns away.

"Get back here right NOW!" her mother yells at her.

Vale stops, her back still turned to her mother. She's thinking about shouting back. She's thinking about telling her mother, what a horrible person she is. How she only cares about their status. How she's never asked about her own daughter's feelings. But Vale has had that conversation a bunch of times already so there was no point in repeating it now. Instead, she continues walking.

Her mother, however, won't give in that easily. She never does. Quickly she follows her daughter upstairs but before she can enter her room, Vale locks the door. Her mother knocks gently at first. "Vale, honey, could you please open?" Vale knows the gist. She's not falling for her mother's soft tone. "I said… could you please open the goddamn door?!" her mother shouts, now pounding at the door." Vale puts her hands around her ears and closes her eyes. "Fine, don't open. But when you're hungry, I'll be waiting and when you do come downstairs, you'll have to tell me about your ranking… after that, I'll decide how much free time you'll get from then on."

Vale sobs. She hates everyone. She hates them all. She hates the pretty little faces of the trainees at the academy. How they're all so perfect, how everything they do seems so effortless. How they get perfect grades and walk around the academy with their disgusting smirks like they own the place. She hates them all. She'd kill them if she could. She really would.

Vale has been studying and studying, watching past Games and training in her free time and yet these bastards still manage to score higher than her in the rankings. Top ten? Pff. Vale isn't even in the top 20 and if her mother finds out, she'll take away her laptop and rob her of all free time and make a diet plan for her that's even worse than the one she already has right now and it's all because of kids like Andromeda, Coral, Marina and the rest of these fucking idiots.

She's sure that they don't even work at home. She's sure that they just wake up in the morning with their hair perfect and their breath smelling like perfume from One. She's sure…

As much as she hates them all, she wants to be like them. No. She needs to be like them. This is why she studies the Games and why she relentlessly works on her weapon skills. She wants to achieve their greatness but she can't. They're all like Angels to her. They're all looking down at Vale with their elegant demeanor and their big angelical wings, smirking and laughing.

It is also why when she got her hands on one of them, Coral to be specific, she shattered her arm and broke her nose. The training staff had to separate them but it was already too late. Vale lost the function of her left eye. Ever since she's alienated herself, even more, form the others. They all look at her like some freak.

Vale holds her knees close to her chest. "I just want to be like them…" she whispers.

* * *

Vale has had enough of the bullshit that their mentor has been feeding her. She doesn't care what he tells her, she will join the pack and there's nothing he can do about it. Does he really expect her to ally with that weakling over there?

"Uh, hey there. I haven't properly introduced myself. I'm Thethys." he extends his right hand but Vale gestures for him to put it back.

"Yeah, I know." she raises her eyebrows, expecting him to get to the point.

"So our mentor said we need to get to know each other so we can work better together. What do you-"

"Yeah, let me stop you right there," she interrupts. "This isn't happening. I'm joining the careers."

"I don't understand. Our mentor said that we have no chance of joining them."

" _You_ have no chance at joining them. What's your ranking anyway? Haven't seen you in the academy."

"I… I'm not doing the HGEP," he says, scratching his head with a hint of embarrassment.

Hm. So maybe there is someone Vale is better than after all and the best part is, he's competing against her. She knows she's better than him and she will use every chance she gets to show that to him.

"Wait, you mean you're doing the normal program in Four?!" she shouts with a big smile.

"Yeah…" Thethys mumbles.

Vale laughs outrageously with a little snort here and there. "Ah, now that just made my day," she says with a content smile. Oh, and good luck with the Games. There's no chance in hell that you're getting into an alliance." she opens a magazine on her bedside table and starts to page through it. "What are you still doing here? Get out."

Politely Thethys leaves the room, his eyes wet and his lips quivering.

* * *

 **Hello, people! I hope you guys liked District Four. I think both of them are really interesting and I have a lot planned for them ( I know I say that every time but it's true xD ). I actually wanted this chapter to be short but… here we are. My goal is to get this story done before summer break ends because after that I'm going to go through a tough phase in school. So if that means, making the introduction chapters a little shorter from now on in order to get through it, I'll have to do it and I hope you guys don't mind :)**

 **I'm not sure what district to do next… it might be Five or perhaps Eight. ACTUALLY, I'll let you guys decide in the reviews what district gets written next. Majority vote wins. If it's a tie, I'll pick from the options. I'll have to see. Sorry if Morgana's story was a little gory btw but I just realized how much fun I'm going to have writing the BLOODBATH ( God, I love that word ).**

 **Anyway, please please please review, I appreciate it tremendously! What do you think of Thethys? Does he stand a chance? What do you think of Vale? Will she make it into the career pack? Who do you like more? What district do you want to see next?**

 **Thank you for the support so far, I really want to complete this story and I already have some arcs planned for a few tributes… and some deaths. Mwahahaha!**


	9. District 8: Lust and Integrity

**Bry Delavie, 18, Socialite**

* * *

A cloak of dark clouds covers the sky, leaves rustle in the wind, owls hoot and cats meow. It's 2 am and no one is out on the streets except for the famous District Eight socialite herself, Bry Delavie, and her two most trusted advisors, Sasha and Loressa.

"That was a sick party!" Sasha cries out into the distance, clearly drunk.

"Omg. Did you see that guy… he was totally flirting with you, Bry." Loressa nudges Bry with her elbow.

"No way, he wasn't!" Bry rolls her eyes but reddens when she realizes that Loressa's theory could be true.

"Are you sure it was a good Idea to walk home?" Sasha whines. "It's cold… and I'm getting this feeling... like someone is following us," she whispers to her girls.

"W-what do you mean? C-c-c-could it be a m-m-monster?" Bry stutters mockingly. "You're clearly drunk. Chill. We all get weird sensations."

Loressa and Bry laugh, Sasha still unconvinced. That laughter, however, stops when the sound of a cracking twig disturbs the calm atmosphere.

"Ok, what the fuck was that?" Bry grabs ahold of Loressa. "Sasha, if you're doing this. It's not funny!" she looks back at Sasha furiously.

"Guys, I-I swear, it wasn't me!"

A shadowy figure, dimly lit by the flickering street lights, creeps its way in front of the girls, its hands behind its back, wearing some sort of feline mask.

"Who are you?!" Bry says cautiously yet loud enough to try and get some people to hear. Slowly Bry gestures for Sasha and Loressa to get behind her.

"He's not moving," Loressa whispers, still looking straight ahead.

"We're not even sure if it's a he." Sasha holds Loressa with a firm grip.

"Oh, please, all guys are pervs, I mean just look at him," Loressa says a little bit too loudly, causing the masked stranger to walk towards them.

"Stand back! One more step and I swear I'm calling the cops." Bry takes out her phone to show the stranger that she is indeed capable of calling for help.

Half expecting the stranger to get mad and perhaps attack them, Bry starts to dial the number. The shadow is still standing there, looking at them but when he reveals his hands from behind his back and brings a camera up close to his face, the girls look even more disturbed.

"What the hell is he doing?" Sasha lets go of Loressa, perhaps a bit more relaxed by the fact that it wasn't a knife or a gun that the stranger revealed

Before any of the girls have time to ask more questions, the shadow crawls back into the darkness and is heard of no more.

"Guys…" Bry starts. "I've had enough for today, let's just get outta here."

For the rest of the way home, the girls look around in the darkness constantly, scared that the masked stranger might pop up in front of them again.

* * *

 **Eden Cage, 17, District 8**

* * *

3 weeks before the reapings:

Eden spreads his notes on his desk and sorts them into different piles. Some piles are larger than others and some piles consist of only one or two documents. The pictures he hangs on a string spread across his room from one end to the other.

As soon as everything is set up, he takes one pile of folders and pictures into his hands. "James Matterworth…" Eden mumbles. He's been observing James ever since he'd helped Eden pick up his books from the floor when he accidentally dropped them. It was a clear sign that there was potential.

Eden holds up a picture of James and brushes over his face with his fingers. "I love you…" his solemn expression morphed into a content smile. "I'll put you over there for now." He slips the picture back into the folder titled 'JM' and plops it in the corner of his desk.

His, room dimly lit by the outside sun, always smelled of glue and books. The glue because of the pictures which he'd stick into his personalized journals, dedicated specifically to very special individuals he holds dear, and the books because he's always liked to read. Especially trashy romance books.

Eden grabs the next pile and starts to write on a blank paper. The writing isn't gentle or calm but vigorous and nervous like he's trying to remember something. Which he is. Repeatedly he crosses out what he writes down and starts again and again and again until he's satisfied with his notes. "Oh, Damaris… I remember you. You've always been so beautiful, so kind, so loving. I remember when you helped me in class because I was struggling with the exercises. At that moment I knew that we were meant to be." He takes out a match and lights it. "It's funny how fast relationships can burn to the ground. When was the last time you spoke to me since that day, huh? When was the last time you even looked at me?! I thought we actually had something going." He stares at the picture of the dark-skinned girl with her beautiful black hair falling to her shoulders, half expecting her to answer him. "It's fine, it's fine. Some things in life aren't meant to be." He brings the flame closer to the picture. "I'm sorry." His words fade as the image of the girl bursts into flames.

"What's that god damn smell?" his mother shouts from downstairs, her roaring to be heard from the furthest depths of their house.

"Shit." He grabs a towel from his drawer. "It's nothing, mom!" he shouts back, trying to suffocate the flame. "It's nothing, I promise!" Successfully the flame gives in and all that's left are the ashen remains of the photo.

"Get down here right now!" his mother roars once more.

"Coming!"

He makes his way down the wooden steps that squeak whenever he steps on them. He gets down quickly, too quickly, almost stumbling and falling down. There she stands, tall and intimidatingly. "What were you doing, huh?"

"Nothing, I swear." He offers her a smile but she looks at him like she's still not convinced of his innocence. "Whatever… I need you to go out and buy some groceries." She fumbles in her bag. Eden can hear the items in the bag being pushed around nervously until, finally, she manages to find her purse. "There you go." She hands him a piece of folded paper. Eden unfolds It and reads through the list, nodding his head. "Ok, cool. Got it. Guess I'll be on my way."

Before leaving, he turns around one more time. "Love you, ma'."

"Yeah, whatever, just go…" she says dismissively, not even looking at her son, while she takes out a cigarette and lights it.

Eden doesn't blame her for her constant mood swings. She works hard every day on the cotton fields to provide enough resources for the big textile companies to manufacture. Sometimes Eden would go out and help her, make things a little easier for her and yet it never really made a difference. Depression crawled its way into their lives and created a barrier between mother and son. A barrier that cannot be broken.

He's never really been loved. Ever. At least not by his mother.

Yesterday he was stalking Bry Delavie, a popular girl at his school. Eden remembers when she first smiled at him in the halls. He truly felt a connection there.

The day before he was stalking James Matterworth. A perfectly chiseled human-being. James was nice to everyone at school but Eden knew that James was especially nice to him. He's sure that James is just a little shy…

The day before that he was stalking Sabrina Meyers. Sabrina, the newest crush, was his project partner. Eden can still feel her elbow touch his arm and her aroma protruding into his nostrils.

Now, he's on his way to get groceries for an unloving mother, he loves ever so much. There she is, Sabrina, talking to some of her friends. Subtly, Eden slides his phone out of his back pocket and takes a snapshot of his newest crush. Without attracting any attention he enters the store.

* * *

The vases shatter on the floor, the books tumble to the ground, the cushions fly across the room and the chairs are hurled around.

"What in the world of Panem is going on?" Hipotthelus, their escort storms hectic into the cabin where Eden and Eleonore are causing a pandemonium.

"The kid is stressed and scared so I suggested we break some things…" Eleonore throws a vase towards the escort, purposely missing him by a few inches. Hipotthelus evades nonetheless.

"Are you like completely INSANE?" he throws his hands maniacally up in the air to emphasize his point. "Do you know how _expensive_ these antiquities are?"

"Oh, puh-lease!" Eleonore laughs. "It's not like the Capitol is running out of money any time soon, right? I mean… you guys legit profit from us 'lower folk' 24/7" Leo rolls her eyes.

"That's not true…"

"Not true? If you took a walk in our Districts once in a while and compared them to your grande empire, maybe then you'd see what truly goes on behind the curtains while you Capitol-bred people live in utter obliviousness." Eleonore grabs a bunch of books from a delicately carved wooden shelf and drops them on the floor. "Ah, this feels so good. I've been waiting for a moment to share my opinions with one of you people." Leo smiles.

Eden watches as the two continue to argue. Just then he realizes the complete contrast between these two oppositions. On one side, Hipotthelus, the capitol escort with his blindingly yellow suit and his neon-blue hair forming a tornado-like swirl on his head, who is, as Eleonore put it, Capitol-bred, and on the other side, Eleonore Athos, a girl he'd just met a few moments ago for the first time, a girl from the District of Textiles.

When he first saw her, he thought she'd be cold and dismissive since she looked quite uninterested and perhaps even bored. However, as soon as Eden started to panic and cry due to this new and strange situation he'd found himself in, she grabbed him by his shirt and told him to calm down. She then proceeded to flip over some chairs and looked at him, expecting Eden to do the same. And so he did.

"Feels good, right?" she shouted in the middle of the ruckus. Eden smiled and nodded. At that moment he knew that there was a connection between them and that they'd go far in the game together.

* * *

 **Eleonore Athos, 18, District 8**

* * *

2 years before the reapings:

Today is Leo's birthday. Her 16th. A very special day. Well, it should be.

When she woke up today, her parents left her a box at the end of the bed. Too tired to really focus, she unwrapped the gift and found a gorgeous orange dress folded carefully inside. It was strapless and tight-fitted around the waste. Embroidered vines and blossoming flowers covered most of the bottom part.

Eleonore stands in front of a large mirror in the main hall of their villa and twirls, making her dress flow around her like a halo.

"Hey, gorgeous." Leo flinches and lets out a small gasp. She twists her head to see who it is. Her sister, Danielle.

"My god, relax. I'm not mom or anything." she chuckles with a cough at the end.

"Damn it, you're not feeling better, are you?" Elenore asks concerned.

"No, no. It's fine…" Dani makes a waving motion with her hands. "It's just a stupid cold, k? Nothing to worry about."

Elenore starts to sob.

"Why are you cr-" the question is interrupted by a sudden hug. Leo wraps her arms around Dani and burrows her face in her chest.

"I don't… I don't know what..." she wales. " I don't know what I'd do without you in this world."

"Oh my god, why are you thinking about things like that? It's your birthday! Have fun! Go out with your friends or something."

"Nope, I'm staying with you." Leo wipes the tears from her cheeks.

"If that's what you want to do, then fine." Danielle pushes her sister off of her. "And stop crying. Today's not the day for that."

Eleonore runs towards the mirror again, frolicking between each step. "You know what we could do?"

"What?" Danielle asks, following her sister.

"The basement."

"Forget it."

"WHAT?! C'mon. It's my birthday. We have to." Leo grabs her sister by the shoulders. "Pleaaasseee?" she shakes Danielle.

"Basement is a no, no. It's the one important rule in our household."

"Dude, seriously? Since when are you such a killjoy? I thought you were supposed to be the chill one out of the two of us."

"There's a reason mom and dad don't want us to go down there. They allow us to do anything else, except for that… I mean not that they care what we do."

"Mom and dad are not here. No one will find out." Leo approaches the spiraling staircase and starts to ascend it. "I know where dad hides the key. I followed him once when I saw him come out of the basement."

Before Danielle can refuse, Leo's already gone and a few moments later she stands next to her sister, the key in her hands. "Ready?" Eleonore jumps up and down with excitement.

Danielle sighs. "I bet they have a sex dungeon down there…"

Leo stares at her sister silently before exploding into laughter. "Good to have ya back, sis!"

After they open the door, the two descend into the depths of darkness. As the temperature drops, Leo's skin starts to shiver. "It's hella cold down here," she whispers

When the two reach the end of the staircase, they find themselves in an empty room with just a few bookcases filling it.

"Great, what now…" Dani walks around the room, in hopes of finding something. Anything secretive, anything worth having broken the rules for.

"There's gotta be something here." After having searched the room for at least ten minutes, Leo gives up. "Wow…"

Dani sighs once more. "At least now we know that there's nothing in here. Well, nothing significant to us at least…" Leo's sister leans on the cold granite wall. It is only after she feels one of the tiles, resting against her shoulder blade, move into the wall, that the rumbling sound occurs. And soon after, a piece of the wall turns at a ninety-degree angle, revealing a new passageway.

"Holy fuck." Leo's jaw drops open. "This is like in the movies!"

"I change my mind, maybe our parents are superheroes."

The two of them laugh in synchrony.

Eleonore and her sister descend another staircase, this one rather old to the point where it feels like the wooden surface will give in at any moment now.

At the end of the staircase, they are greeted by a door.

"If this door is locked, I will freak out." Eleonore wraps her fingers around the rounded handle and turns it to the right. She hears a clicking sound, confirming that the door is unlocked. Success. Carefully, she pushes the metal door open and signals for her sister to follow.

The room behind the door is one filled with files and photos and a big radio station in the right corner. Eleonore looks at the photos. "What the actual f-"

"Is that dad next to the vice president?!" Danielle grabs a photo and holds it up to show her sister.

Leo lifts a laptop, sitting on one of the desks and also holds it up for her sister to see. "Yeah, and that's mom's laptop. Look at the email she started to write. Read it."

"Dear Tatyana McAfterlee. As we've been aware of the recent rebellious acts spreading across District Eight, we've decided to act against the threat immediately. Not only have we almost managed to track down the source of the disarray, but we've also caught one of the rebel's members, currently being held captive for questioning. The next course of action would be to... " the email stops at that point. All she can do is look at her sister in disbelief. "Tatyana McAfterlee. You know who that is, right?"

"Yeah, I've seen her on tv a couple of times. Capitol politician... "

"Mhm."

Suddenly the two fall silent as they try to digest the newfound information.

"So our parents are…"

"Helping the Capitol."

"Yup…"

They hear a thud coming from another room next door.

"Ok, I don't feel comfortable with… with whatever is in there."

"Too late to turn back now." Eleonore walks towards the final door and pushes it open.

What they see next is not what they hoped they'd find. Not what they _wanted_ to find. It's a confirmation that their parents aren't superheroes, nor are they into weird sexual stuff. That would have been fine compared to this. Compared to finding a half-dead man tied to a chair in the middle of a dark room with his mouth covered, to prevent him from screaming. Once the stranger notices them he starts to squeal like an animal.

Eleonore can see it all. The wounds. His swollen hands, his blue eye, the marks around his neck, the scars across his chest. She covers her mouth with her hand, feeling today's breakfast resurface. Before she can push it back down, she collapses on the floor, regurgitating it all.

"Leo!" Dani helps her back up. "We're not supposed to be seeing this. We _shouldn't_ be seeing this!"

The tied up man continues to shout in pain.

"We need to get out of here…" Danielle grips Leo's arm and pulls her out of the room.

"NO! We need to help him!"

"We can't, okay? We can't."

"Of course we can!"

"Eleonore, for once in your life just listen to me! Nobody can find out that we've been in here. Nobody. The Capitol doesn't take these things lightly. If word gets out that we know about what goes on behind the scenes, they could have us killed."

Eleonore, too tired to think of a response, stays silent as the two get back to the surface, pretending like everything is fine.

At dinner, the aura is as uncomfortable and awkward is it could possibly get. With Eleonore and Danielle sitting on one side and both her parents on the other, a confrontation is bound to occur. And so it did.

"I never really like the Capitol…" Eleonore starts.

"Leo…" Dani tries to get her sister to keep silent but is shut down.

"I've expressed that a couple of times before, haven't I? Quite often in fact. I mean, they only take and don't give back. They literally force us to compete in a death game annually for their amusement. You, yourself, have agreed with me. You've told me that you'd change something if you could, that you don't like what the Capitol is doing either… so tell me… how is it that there's someone tied up in our basement? Sorry… I mean, why on god's earth are you helping the Capitol?"

Suddenly everything turns dead silent until her father chokes on his wine. Her mother is still looking at her daughter in shock as her husband drinks a glass of water to stop the irritable coughing.

"I don't know what you're talking about, sweetie." her mother forces some more cake onto her daughter's plate.

Elenore removes the plate and throws it on the floor causing it to shatter into dozens of little shards. "BULLSHITT! I'll ask again… why is there a rebel tied up and being tortured in our basement?! WHY?!"

"Listen… I know this might be shocking for you but-" her mother starts

"NO. No buts!"

"Eleonore Athos! Sit down right this instant!" her father's face reddens with wrath. "You were never supposed to be down there in the first place. There are things you don't understand yet."

"Yes, dad. I know. There are many things I don't understand yet. There are many things I still have to learn in life but if there's one thing I do know, then it is the difference between good and bad. Between what's right and what's wrong and torturing a human-being is definitely not morally right!"

"Elli…"

"NO DAD! NO! I MEAN WHAT THE FUCK? LIKE SERIOUSLY! One day… one day I'll show you. I'll show all of you. One day when the Districts realize that they are strong enough to overthrow the Capitol and you come back crawling to me because you've allied with the wrong force, you'll be sorry. Sorry for what you've done."

Before anyone else can get another word into the conversation, Eleonore storms out of the villa. That was the last time they've seen their daughter in two years.

* * *

 **Hello, hello, hello! I'm back from the dead. Sorry for being a little absent. I've been extremely busy with schoolwork and, thankfully, I'm on vacation now so I've got a bit more time. I also have a lot of stories I need to catch up on.**

 **We are officially half way through until the real stuff begins. The stuff I'm really looking forward to. The arena is gonna be really interesting. That's all I'll say for now ;)**

 **I know there wasn't a train ride scene in Leo's POV but I thought that her POV was already longer than Eden's and for now I feel like she was introduced enough. Don't worry there'll be enough time to get to know her more and on that note, I want to say something else too: Some of the character traits the tributes were selected for might not be obvious at first but it will become clearer as their character develops and as they build relationships with other tributes. I hope to give the tributes as much character development as possible because this story is also rather character driven which in my opinion fits the Quell's twist. However, I can't promise that every tribute will get character development because, in the end, not everyone changes throughout the course of the Games. Some stay good, some stay bad.**

 **I also hope you didn't mind the strange introduction to Eden with this third POV. Just thought I'd be fun to show him from a different perspective :D**

 **Anyway, a lovely review would be appreciated a lot! Which of the two do you like better? Who has more potential? Will they end up allying together?**

 **I love you guys and I'll see you next time!**


	10. District 2: Pride and Compassion

**Aline Roche, 16, District 2**

* * *

Day of the reaping:

"Are you ready? Are you excited? You're going to do great, I just know it." Aline's father, also known as the mayor, pats her shoulder. He has this content and a satisfied smile that his daughter loves to give him. She's never managed to disappoint her father so far and she's not planning on doing so ever. That is also the reason why Aline is so hellbent on coming back victorious from the Games.

"Of course, father. I'm as ready as I'll ever be." she smiles contently without exposing her teeth. She can't say that she isn't nervous. Of course, she is. No matter how prepared you are, there's always a chance that you're not prepared enough and Aline is fully aware of that. She isn't stupid. The stupid ones always get killed.

As the bell rings for breakfast, Aline floats to the kitchen. She's been told before that whenever she walks it looks like she's levitating. She takes that as a compliment. Her brother and her… beloved mother are already sitting at the table.

"Good morning, mother. Good to see you, as always!" she exclaims sarcastically. Never has there ever been a close bond between this mother-daughter pair. Hessa, her mother, has always had the feeling that her daughter took away all of her husband's attention. Aline doesn't care. There's a point in life where you can't expect to be the center of attention anymore and, sadly, her mother hasn't understood that concept quite yet.

"Yes… lovely to see you and congratulations on having been selected. I'm sure you'll perform excellently." there's a hint of bitterness in Hessa's words as she brings the wine glass close to her lips and indulges on the liquid.

"Whine so early? Wow, mother. You must be feeling great, huh?" Aline implies as she takes a seat at the grand dining table across her brother. The careers have been given an early notice to compensate for the special 'reapings' or 'choosings' as Aline likes to call them this time. Since the careers don't get to pick their volunteers, the chosen ones from the career Districts received a one-day early notice that they were picked for this year's events while the other tributes get chosen immediately at the reapings without warning. It's not much and yet it was enough for Aline to have gone to the Academy one more time to warm up and to mentally prepare herself.

She's not going to let her father down. Her brother is useless, naive and incompetent and she won't allow their family's legacy to fall into his hands. Once she is crowned victor, she'll take over as rightful heir of the family and then perhaps she'll run for mayor.

Their father joins them at the table and everyone starts to serve themselves. Aline watches as her mother hoards pile after pile of food on her plate. She's thinking of commenting on her mother's absolutely grotesque behavior but she'll refrain from doing so for now.

"You know this might be the last time we ever see you, right?" her boring brother comments and thus ruins Aline's previously good mood.

"Must we speak of such unpleasant matters during breakfast, dear brother?" she asks trying not to let her agitation show. All her brother does is stare at her with his dark eyes. She can see that he really isn't happy with her decision. Well, it wasn't really her decision, was it?

After breakfast, Aline approaches her brother and talks to him on the side. "Just stop ruining the mood, okay? Just because I got picked and you weren't doesn't mean that you have to go moping around all day."

"I'll stop moping around once you stop talking like a medieval bitch whenever dad's around. I mean, seriously? 'Must we speak of such unpleasant matters?'. You're not a queen. You're not a princess. Heck, you're not even royalty so stop with the tryhard posh accent."

Aline scoffs.

"My god, you're so boring. And you know what? Maybe if you started acting more regal, then you'd have a little bit more of what I have."

"And what would that be, _dear sister_?"

"Pride."

* * *

Before entering the capitol train, she sat in the waiting room. She remembers how her father cried tears of joy and tears of pride. It was confirmed then and there that it would be an obligation for her to get back home. Aline knew that her mother would be glad when she's gone. Finally, she could get some alone time with her husband since her son isn't, according to her, as annoying as her daughter. Her brother was truly sad and she was able to see that. For a second she actually believed that he might really be scared for her but then she reminded herself that he's just jealous that she gets to go and not him.

As soon as Aline takes a seat on one of the fluffy cushions, her district partner sits across of her. "Reginald Vambrace, correct?"

"That's me." he grins, pouring himself a glass of orange juice. "Mmh, I always heard they have the best orange juice in Eleven. Too bad we don't get to go there… but I bet the capitol one is just as good." Aline watches as her district partner chugs the orange liquid.

You're the medic, aren't you?" Aline's heard of him before. He works at the Academie's medical center together with an old hag. Aline's never liked the hag. She always thinks she knows everything.

"Oh, yeah. Guess that's not really a secret, is it?" he chuckles.

Aline rests her chin on her palm and tilts her head a little playfully. "I never really understood… why _did_ you quit the programme?" she knew the answer. She knew everything about everyone at the academy. There weren't any secrets to be kept from her. Ever. And yet she wants to hear it from him. She wants to know if he'll lie to her or if he'll be straightforward. Before Reginald gets a chance to answer, however, their mentor steps in.

"Quilla!" Aline exclaims ecstatically. She's so glad that Quilla is their mentor this year. Quilla is absolutely amazing and Aline has the utmost respect for this multi-talented woman. Quilla is liked by basically everyone, she's one of Two's most popular victors and a capitol-favorite.

"Hello there, my lovelies!" she envelops Aline in a big hug. Aline flinches a little, shocked by the informality of it all. She hates close contact with people, no matter who it is so she cringes a little bit. Quilla proceeds to hug Reginald aswell who seems completely content with the greeting. Aline scoffs.

"Sit down, sit down! We've got a lot to talk about so let's begin as quickly as possible." the two sit across of their mentor and thus begins the tutoring.

* * *

 **Reginald Vambrace, 16, District 2**

* * *

Three years before the reapings:

"My friend Bruce, 13-years-old."

"Very good, Perci" Reginald holds up the next flashcard.

"My friend Acacia also 13-years-old."

"Perfect." he lifts up the next one.

"June, my mother, 44-years-old."

"Excellent."

Reggi prepares the next flashcard, knowing that Percival struggled the most with that one. He sincerely hopes that he would get it right this time.

"My… my, uh… damn it, I can't remember." Percival rubs his head frantically.

"It's you when you were six-years-old." Reggi offers him a melancholic smile.

"Shitt man!" Perci slams his fist against the table, causing the tea to spill all over the floor. "Oh my god! I'm so sorry." he tries to get up from his bed.

"It's okay, no problem, just stay right where you are." After wiping the floor with a piece of cloth, Reggi puts the flashcards away. He can see Percival's discontent.

"Listen, you're doing great, got it?" he refills Perci's tea. "You're going to be better in no time. You're just struggling with this last one a little bit. Once that is out of the way, you can be back on your feet."

"What if it gets worse?"

"It won't, I promise. I'll make sure of that." Reginald offers Percival his hand. He takes it and they shake.

Athena taught Reginald how to handle short-term memory loss and even dementia. She told him that the key to the treatment is the answer to the obsessively repeated questions. Before starting the patient always has to know that the answer is on the card itself. Usually on the back. It calms and reassures the patients and gives them a sense of security.

Percival was brought into the medical center two days ago. He had injured his head in a sparring match. His opponent, Ernist Hazeltov who was also known to be quite aggressive when it came to duels, lost control and went all out on the poor boy. Perci stood no chance. Ernist immediately knocked Perci out with a club straight to the head.

Not only has Perci lost his eyesight on one side but he's been suffering from short-term memory loss and constant headaches. Reginald doesn't really know when he'll be cured or if he'll even be cured. All he knows is that Perci needs to focus and getting better for now and not on what the future has in store for him.

It's 3 pm, almost time for Reggi to start packing up and head home. He washes the equipment in the center and cleans the floor. In the corner of his eye, he can spot Athena smiling.

He turns to face her. "What?" he asks with a grin, running a hand through his dreadlocks.

"It's nothing…" she continues to smile and closes the cupboard once she's done sorting the supplies.

"No, I want to know, pleaaase!"

"I just remembered when you were first brought here… what was it again? One broken leg and two broken ribs?"

"Three," he corrects her.

"Yes, that's right." she gets down from the ladder. "You were in such pain, crying and screaming. I really felt bad for you. It was a long recovery process." Athena picks up some plastic wrappers from the floor. "Afterwards, when you were feeling better and had the option to continue training, you decided that you wanted to learn from me instead and not from your mentors. You wanted to heal people, not hurt them. I had and still have so much respect for you. You're so young, only thirteen and yet you are so mature."

Reginald blushes. "Stop it, you're flattering me," he says cheekily and laughs.

"No, I'm serious. Thank you."

"For what?"

"Giving me purpose. Seeing you with Percival, made me know that I've taught you well and that you will grow up to be a kind-hearted and compassionate young man."

Compassionate… maybe Reginald's strength really was compassion. He might not be as strong as the rest or as athletic as the rest but he does have what most of the other trainees lack a heart.

* * *

"You know I'm not letting you into the career pack, right?" Aline whispers softly into his ear as soon as their mentor leaves their compartment for lunch break.

"Yeah, I expected that to be the case. Still, if you don't mind me asking, how do you know that everyone will follow your lead?"

"Oh, don't you worry about that… I always manage to get myself into a leadership position in a group. It's my secret superpower. Shh, don't tell anyone, okay?" she says a little tauntingly.

"Got it, Your secret's safe with me," Reginald says playing along. "What will you do now? Ally with the Ones and Fours, as usual?"

"The Fours?" Aline laughs radically. "Oh please! Have you seen them? A fourteen-year-old pair… the boy looks like he can't even lift a sword and the girl seems like she's too stubborn to listen to what I tell her to do, meaning she won't really be an asset to have. The ones, however, I do think I'll be able to play them. The girl is strong physically but far too weak-willed. I give her three days tops before she breaks in the arena. I'll have to get rid of her before that happens… the boy, probably the strongest out of all of you. He'll be the one to keep around for sure. No doubt about that."

Reginald watches as Aline continues to list names and facts. He's heard of her before. Who hasn't? She's so known in the academy for being part of the elite student groupe. The ones who have the highest scores of all. She, obviously with the highest score. It seems like she's thought this through very carefully. Does he think he stands a chance against her face to face? Not in a million years. Does he think he'll be able to beat her? Yes.

"The girl from Five looks strong, so does the boy from Eleven and the boy from Ten. They'll definitely be offered an alliance with us. What about you? Do you have any plans now that you're… well, alone?" she asks with an emphasis on alone.

"I actually have no Idea. Guess I'll figure it out along that way…"

Aline rolls her eyes and sighs. "Well, I wish you all the best. If you'll excuse me."

She gets up and leaves the compartment. It wasn't a lie when Reginald said that he had no clue what he'll be doing. He doesn't but he will figure it out. He always does… or not.

* * *

 **Hyaa! Quick update? Yup! Reward for keeping you waiting so long last time :D**

 **Only five more introductions chapters and then… dun, dun, dun. We'll get to see our tributes actually interact with each other! I'm actually already planning for future SYOTs which is completely ridiculous given the fact that I'm not even done introducing the cast yet but I've just got so many Ideas, OH MA GAWD! Sorry…**

 **\- Also, I am aware that this chapter is shorter than the rest and, yes, I will have to start making them shorter if this story is ever to be finished. I know I've said that for the past three chapters and they always seem to get longer and longer but this time I had to be strict with myself xd**

 **Questions:**

 **Do you like Aline? Or do you find her interesting at least?**

 **What will Reginald do, now that he has no alliance?**

 **How will Vale react when she finds out that she ain't joining the career pack?**

 **If you want you can also rank the tributes so far in a table. Would be interesting to see what you all think fo the cast so far!**

 **Have an awesome day and see you all next time!**


	11. District 12: Selfishness and Hope

**Bianca Forge, 12, District 12**

* * *

One month before the reapings:

Alpha dominates

Beta follows

Gamma obeys

These are the three rules every scavenger in Twelve must understand. These are the three rules that build the basis of this community. A community consisting of people desperate to find food, desperate to find shelter, desperate to find hope.

Bianca Forge, twelve-years-old, has become accustomed to these rules. As long as she follows them, she's free to do whatever she wants.

Two years ago, Bianca still had a home. She lived with her two siblings, Brooke and Ethan, and their drunk mother. The father died when Bianca was still young, leaving little memory behind for her to hold on to.

Life used to be simple. Well, simpler than it was now.

Now, Bianca has been trademarked as a scavenger. The lowest of the low in Twelve, feeding only on garbage, with the exception of tesserae, rummaging through trash piles day in day out. It is the life Bianca chose. Is it the life she deserved?

No.

Was it her fault that her family had little money? Is it her fault that her father died and left them with even less than they already had? Is it her fault that her drunk mother then decided to also move to the afterlife, leaving her eldest daughter to take care of her two younger siblings all by herself? Life isn't fair. It simply isn't.

The only way to survive in a world that is corrupted is to act solely in one's self-interest. That is the reason why she left her siblings at a foster home and abandoned them, that is the reason why she steals, that is the reason why she cares for nobody but herself. It is the only way.

Today is a day like any other.

Bianca, searching in a garbage bin, can barely open her eyes. It is a lot harder than one might think to go dumpster diving. Not only must one deal with the constant struggle of avoiding sharp objects which seem to stick out of everywhere, but you also have to make sure that there is no threatening competition around.

As soon as Bianca resurfaces, she sees him. A boy. A gamma. She's able to tell by his posture and by the way he sneaks up on Bianca's territory with a certain carefulness like he knows that he might get caught.

Bianca is a beta and she'll make sure he understands that.

"MINE!" she hisses at him, popping out of the trashcan.

"I-I'm sorry. P-please help me…" Bianca realizes that the boy's hands and legs are shaking as he pleads for mercy. "I have nothing. I...I just lost my parents a-and I have nowhere to go. I haven't eaten in days… p-please help. Please."

"Get out of my territory, " Bianca spits out.

"You don't understand, I'm going to die. You need to-"

"Get out."

"PLEASE!"

Clearly, this boy hasn't really understood the concept of living on the streets yet. Kids like him who haven't understood how this rotten and corrupted world functions, won't survive in these harsh conditions.

"Survival of the fittest." Bianca takes out a knife from a sheath, wrapped around her waist.

"What do you mean?" the boy starts to back away slowly, his legs still shaking.

"If you're not strong and if you're not ruthless, you won't make it. This world punishes, crushes and devours naive kids like you." She points the knife at him. "I will say it once more and it'll be the last time you hear it. How you want it to be the last time you hear it, is all up to you." Bianca takes one more step forward. "Piss. Off."

The little boy gulps before turning his body in the other direction to make a run for it. His legs, already weak from being on the streets for a few days, give in a little bit midway, making him almost collapse to the floor as he rushes off.

"Pfft. Pathetic." Bianca scoffs as she continues to loot the container.

* * *

"I've seen you somewhere before, haven't I?" Her district partner lies on the sofa, face burrowed in a pillow.

Bianca, barely able to understand what the kid said, rolls her eyes before answering. "Ah, have you now?"

"Yup," he says as monotonic as it can get.

"Interesting."

"I know you're being sarcastic but you're the only person I have to talk to so I'm not going to do what I always do, I'm not going to panic and calculate what to say next… I'm not doing any of that." The boy uncovers his face and sits upright. "I'm just going to have a normal conversation like normal people and-" he stops and looks at Bianca, probably realizing that he's been talking out loud and not internally.

"Listen…"

"Have you ever felt like you needed to be perfect?"

"What…?"

Perfect. That word doesn't mean anything. A meaningless word. Perfect. There is no such thing as perfect. The world isn't perfect, people aren't perfect, life isn't perfect. Nothing can be perfect. Perfect is a word that shouldn't have been invented.

As the boy continues to talk about things that make no sense and asking absurd philosophical questions that are completely out of place, Bianca excuses herself and leaves the room, leaving the boy alone with his thoughts.

* * *

 **Fennel Fritz, 12, District 12**

* * *

One month before the reapings:

Fennel sees a girl on his way to school. He's seen her a couple of times before. She's not really a normal girl. Fennel knows that. He's sure there's a reason why she's swimming in piles of garbage all the time. She probably doesn't have a lot of money which is sad… or she might like the smell of garbage.

People these days are into all kinds of stuff. The girls in his class started wearing these glowing bracelets as of late, before that it was elastic hair bands, shaped like animals. Maybe now trash diving is a new thing. Who is he to judge.

Fennel looks at the sandwich in his hands. Maybe he should go over there and offer it to her. What if she's really poor?

But what if she's not? That would be so embarrassing. She'd look at him like a freak and Fennel isn't allowed to be a freak. He has to be great, no, perfect.

His parents raised him to be the best possible version of himself and so far he has managed not to disappoint them. He's at the top of his class with grades better than everyone else and the respect and admiration of all the teachers at his school. Sadly, however, what Fennel lacks isn't skill, it's friends.

Amber, the only person he can truly call a friend, goes to another school so he barely ever sees her and Phillip, his former best friend, doesn't talk to him anymore. Fennel doesn't understand why Phil stopped being friends with him but there must have been something he did wrong.

His parents say that everyone is just jealous of Fennel's achievements and that they make fun of him because they wish that they could be like him. Although Fennel would like to believe that, he doesn't. Nobody can be _that_ hateful just because of envy. That simply isn't possible. It's his fault. It is something that he did wrong.

Suddenly Fennel snaps back to reality when a pebble hits his head. The girl in the garbage pile is gone.

"Hey, idiot!" Fennel looks to his left. It's Thom and Levi. Great. "Whatcha doin' over there, huh?" Thom stays behind as Levi comes up close to Fennel and puts a hand on his shoulder. It's always been like this. Levi, the one who hated him the most, made his life utter hell in school and Thom, his trusty sidekick, would always join in but never be the one to act. He only acted when Levi told him to, otherwise he'd wait behind, just like now.

"Uh… n-nothing. I'm j-just waiting for… uh…" Fennel can't really think of anything to say. This isn't the first time a situation like this has happened. His social incapability is the main reason why everyone makes fun of him. Fennel overthinks everything he says all the time in order not to sound stupid or say something he isn't supposed to. Ironically enough, he over calculating what to say alienates him even more from everyone else. He just doesn't know how to communicate with people. He always stutters and shakes. No wonder nobody likes him…

"Whatever, dude!" Levi interrupts Fennel's awkward mumbling and snatches the sandwich from the latter's hands. "Hey, Thom! Looks like we got some free lunch!" Thom gives his boss a thumbs up as Levi starts to walk back to school, leaving Fennel alone without food and, still, without friends.

On his way out of school, Fennel throws one last glance at the garbage pile in hopes of finding this mysterious girl once more and yet there seems to be no trace of her whatsoever.

He hears some kids cackle behind him. Is he walking strangely? He straightens his back and adjusts his shoulders. Maybe that's why they were laughing. When the laughing doesn't stop, Fennel starts to panic. What more could he possibly be doing wrong? Is something stuck to his foot? Are his trousers ripped? Unable to ignore the laughter, he faces the kids. Fennel, expecting the group of children to be pointing and mocking him, sighs in relief when he realizes that one of the girls in the group was showing her friends something on her phone.

At home it's the same as always: He has a healthy and balanced meal, brushes his teeth for the third time, gets ready for soccer training and leaves the house.

His parents kiss him goodbye but Fennel doesn't feel any love coming from that kiss. It felt more like a 'Hurry-and-leave-because-I-have-other-things-to-do' kind of kiss. It's always that kind of kiss.

* * *

Something changed and Fennel isn't sure what it is and why it suddenly sunk into his brain but for some reason, he just isn't scared anymore. It's as if with one simple snap all of his worries disappeared which is funny because he should be more fearful than he is.

He's going to die.

Kind of ironic with him representing hope and all but Fennel isn't stupid. He's never been stupid. It's the one thing he's confident about. His chances are slim and he accepts that which might also be the reason why his confidence increased. The once paranoid and stuttering little boy actually started to talk… with confidence.

It's as if he has nothing to lose anymore. Back then, everyone was watching his every move, praying that he'd make a mistake so that there would be a reason to mock him but here, here everyone is like him. Everyone is scared… which in return is why he isn't.

Fennel slips into his pajamas and joins the others at dinner.

"Alrighty! So we're all here?" Helen, their mentor, asks with excitement. Helen was older. In her fifties, if Fennel had to guess but he wouldn't judge her for it. He'd take her advice any day. It's all he has to increase his already slim probability of coming back home.

"Seems to be the case. Bon appetit!" Skosarsa, their escort, shouts out with excitement. They always fascinated Fennel for some reason. He couldn't really tell if they were a man or a woman and that intrigued Fennel so much.

"So, tell me kids: What'd do you think?" she asks before chugging down a bottle of beer.

"Of what?" Bianca, the mysterious girl he finally got to meet in person, asked in an impulsive tone.

"All of this? The glamour, the pizazz, the luxury. It really is something, isn't it?" Helen offers them some delicacies on a cheese platter.

"Pff, this is heaven compared to what I'm used to," Bianca says in a grumbling tone as she grabs a handful of appetizers from the platter.

"What do you mean?" Helen asks with genuine concern.

"It's nothing..." Bianca hides her face. Fennel can tell that she's tearing up.

"Oh, poor thing!" Skosarsa exclaims, handing her a tissue. Bianca slaps their hand away and rushes off to her room.

Fennel didn't expect this at all. The way she talked to him earlier made it seem like she was a ruthless little girl out for blood. Perhaps he was wrong.

Who is he to judge... Many unexpected things have happened today. Too many for Fennel to digest and comprehend at the moment but he's taking it all in bit by bit.

He's accepting his demise.

He's enjoying his demise.

* * *

 **Ok, so it's been a moment but hello! Hello again! Same thing as always... school. Sadly, my vacation starts on July 5th which is still a while to go but during summer break I should be able to upload and write more frequently.**

 **Thank you Elim9 for Bianca and Galaxy842 for Fennel. For some reason, this was extremely hard to write. The hardest one yet and I have no clue why.**

 **Questions:**

 **1\. Which one of them will last longer?**

 **2\. Which one of them do you want to last longer?**

 **3\. Are any of them potential bloodbaths?**

 **Please, please, please leave a review. It doesn't have to be big but it lets me know that you're reading and I'd appreciate it a lot. I'll see you guys next time probably with District Eleven and then we only have three more to go!**


	12. District 11: Peacefulness and Wrath

**Daisy Mallow, 13, District 11**

* * *

One year and 3 months before the reapings:

As a forest nymph Daisy's job is to protect the natural environment around her from predators. She spots a couple of Thrips leeching onto some leaves. Gently she picks them off of the plants and places them in the palm of her hands.

"Off you go…" she sets them on a tree stump away from the fragile plants.

It's common for Daisy to find little predators like Thrips, Spider Mites, Mealybugs, or Aphids. They damage the beautiful plants around her and yet she never kills them because that would be mean and unfair towards the insects since they just do what they're used to, what They've been taught to. Instead, Daisy collects the little critters and removes them from the environment she protects and brings them to another safe space.

Daisy proceeds to climb back into her tree and leans against the trunk, slowly sliding down until she's sitting on a big branch with her eyes closed. The breeze blows against her face and a small smile forms on her lips.

This is what life means: freedom, peace, and happiness

"Oh my god, no way. There she is again!" A girl calls out from below. "Like what does she do here all-day. I swear, I see her like all the time, it's so weird." she's sitting with a group of friends, all girls. Daisy can recognize her. It's Starlet. She shows up quite often at the forest park with her friends.

They all start to giggle as Starlet whispers something into their ears while looking at Daisy.

"Doesn't she have like any friends? So sad…" it almost seemed like one of the girls actually sympathized with her until everyone burst out laughing again.

Trees are Daisy's best friends. If trees were humans, they'd make really good companions. They're always there, they're really peaceful, and, most importantly, they don't judge you.

Gently Daisy wraps her arms around the trunk and slides down. She knows Starlet. She knows that Starlet is going through a tough time. She can tell by how she shows up every day with fresh bruises on her legs and face. She tries to cover it up but Daisy never misses a thing. Starlet tries to hide her sorrow with a smile, she takes out all her burden on other people and if that is what it takes for Starlet to forget her pain then Daisy will gladly be her punching bag.

Daisy's parents can't afford for her to go to school so she has a lot of free time. This has allowed her to develop a new kind of skill. Not only does Daisy know a lot more about plants and animals than most adults do but she's also a master at picking up emotions. It all started when, for the first time, she had observed a couple fighting. She saw their facial expressions, their tears, their gestures, their shouting. She noticed how the woman, furrowed her eyebrows in a specific way, she saw how the man's lips quivered as he spoke. She never took it all too seriously but she enjoyed observing people's life stories and perhaps even learning from them. Soon Daisy was able to tell if someone lied to her by their tone or based on how they wrinkled their forehead.

Daisy, however, doesn't use her newfound talent to hurt other people, but she uses it to help them, to calm them, to tell them that all their worries will disappear.

Slowly and calmly she brushes by Starlet, offering her a quick smile before passing her by and heading home.

'Did she just smile at you? What the heck…'

'Oh my gosh, she's so weird,' one of them groans.

Once home, her father is the first to greet her. 'Welcome back, honey. Make any new friends? Like, human friends?' he laughs.

'Shut it, John,' Lilly, Daisy's mother says. 'I've prepared a delicious meal for all of us so be a darling and go get your sister, Dee.'

Daisy jogs upstairs, skipping two steps at a time. What Daisy lacks in muscle and book smarts, she makes up with, not only her emotional intelligence but also her agility. Gently she knocks on her sister's door. 'Coming!' a voice from the other side of the door shouts.

'Hey, Daisy, what's up?' Holly, her sister, asks as she opens the door to her room.

'Mom says it's time for dinner.'

'Gotcha, let's go, Dee, let's go!'

Daisy runs after her sister who seems to have no problem sliding down the railing of the stairs. Sometimes Daisy wishes she was born with the extroverted nature of her sister. Like that she'd be able to make friends much more easily.

'Oh my god, it tastes delicious ma!' Holly shouts as soon as she stuffs her mouth with the roasted potatoes and rotisserie chicken.

'You like it, Dee?' her mother pats Daisy on her back.

'It's good mom, thank you,' she says quietly.

After lunch, Daisy goes out for a run. She forgets her surroundings, forgets her worries and just lets the wind carry her through the fresh plains of the hot afternoon. The best time of the day is when the warmth of the sun kisses your skin and makes you feel safe and sound. One day she'll gain confidence, she knows that. How? No clue. When? No clue. But she has a feeling that it will happen.

* * *

 **Kiwano Bayles, 15, District 11**

* * *

Knock.

Knock.

The door opens, revealing a young boy behind it. 'Uh, hello, what can I do for ya?'

Kiwano stares at the stranger. He's young, about his age, maybe a bit younger. His hair is a dusty blonde and freckles cover his cheeks. And that is where the similarities to the boy's father end.

'Your dad home?' Kiwano asks making sure to accentuate his deep voice.

'No, he's at work, sorry'

He has the same nose like his father, the same stature as his father, the same forsaken eyes as his father, and most importantly, the same pale skin as his father.

'I'd like to leave him a message…' Kiwano tightens his hands into fists, the veins around his neck and his arms becoming apparent.

What he's about to do is a big mistake. A big, big, big mistake but there's nothing holding him back. This kid's father deserves so much worse than what Kiwano is about to do and yet this is the only revenge he can think of right now.

'Sure! What can I-' before the boy is able to complete his sentence, Kiwano slams his fists into the boy's face. He falls onto the floor and groans in pain.

Kiwano's not done. He's far from done.

He grabs the boy by his shirt and lifts him high up, only to throw him against the living room table, that breaks as soon as the boy collides with it.

'HELP!' the boy screams desperately. 'Anyone help, please!'

Kiwano kicks the door behind him shut so that no one could potentially hear the noise coming from inside the house. Slowly Kiwano walks towards his prey, furrowing his eyebrows.

He picks the boy up a second time and rams him against a wall, squeezing all the air out of his lungs.

This is what the father of this kid deserved. He will see his son suffer, just like Kiwano had to watch his brother suffer.

He hits the boy's face with his fist.

Again. Again. Again.

He kicks him in the stomach, causing him to fall over again. The boy's face is bloody, his eyes shut. He's unable to speak, only letting out small moans of pain.

Kiwano claps his hands together and makes his way out of the house, the wood creaking below his feet, followed by the groans of the bloody kid.

Suddenly the door opens from the other side. The boy's father, also known as Lieutenant Buck, storms into the house. Kiwano can tell that he's in shock, obviously, he is. Before the peacekeeper can recover from his temporary paralysis, Kiwano makes a run for it. He's too slow, unable to escape the man's grip. Before he's able to fight back, something heavy hits his skull. A shrill pitch fills his ears as his vision becomes blurry and he loses his balance.

Darkness fills Kiwano's eyes.

* * *

This girl, Daisy in front of him is shy. She has warm eyes and yet when he catches her staring at him when he's looking away, they pierce his soul. She's scared of him. Of course she is, everyone is scared of him. Why wouldn't they be? Kiwano, the infamous peasant who beat up a peacekeeper's kid. Fun.

He tries to smile at her, show her that he's a friendly guy but she evades all eye contact.

Kiwano's smile, however, disappears when Troy, their mentor, enters. The veins in his neck and arms fill up with boiling hot blood and his forehead automatically wrinkles at the site of the mentor's appearance.

'Hey, kids,' he starts. 'So, I have some paperwork I need to get done. It'll take me bout thirty minutes and then I'm all yours. That sound good to y'all?'

Daisy nods in agreement but Kiwano just looks away from the mentor, trying to keep himself under control.

After Troy leaves, he looks back at Daisy. She, also staring back at him.

'Are you scared of me?'

'No.' she leans her chin on her wrist. 'I'm not scared of you, I just find you interesting.'

'How's that?'

'I didn't really know people like you still existed in Panem.'

'People… like me?'

'Yup, we live in this world where everything is supposed to be perfect. It makes us forget that things didn't used to be like that…'

'I'm not following.'

'You're a racist.'

Kiwano, surprised by the girl's sudden confidence, stares at her in awe. 'What does that mean?'

'It's a term that people used in the old days. It means that you discriminate against a certain race.'

'I'm not a ra..ra.. Whatever that word was, kay?' he rubs his face with his hands. 'It's more complicated than that.'

'How so?'

'I can't control it. Something that happened in my past caused me to be that way. I… I don't want to go into detail.'

Daisy turns her head to the side, probably signaling for him to say more.

'Look, all I can tell you now is that everything bad that ever happened to me, was because of… people like him.'

It doesn't matter anymore, does it? Nothing really matters. He's going to die anyway, all alone somewhere in the arena where his wrath will finally be put to rest and everyone will be kept safe from the dangerous kid who used to roam the streets of Eleven.

* * *

 **Been a while, huh? Ok, so first off. Hope everyone is having a good summer. I am, for sure. School starts next week again which sucks so much but I just spent the last couple of weeks in a camp in Oxford for creative writing and neuroscience which was pretty cool. That was also the reason why I couldn't really update besides the fact that I'm really enjoying summer. I've actually planned everything for this SYOT already. I know who's going in the bloodbath, I know the arcs I have planned for a lot of the characters and I have the arena planned too. I'm still debating between three possible victors**

 **So, here we had Daisy and Kiwano. Credit goes to Silver and Galaxy for these two lovelies who I look forward to exploring more and more! So, what do you think of these two? Who do you guys prefer? Is Kiwano to be excused for his actions?**

 **I have an announcement to make: I am starting a partial SYOT. I know, I know. What about this SYOT? Don't worry, I'm not going to summarise it or stop it but I'm hoping to update my partial more often. I made a mistake when I decided that submission for this SYOT would be first come first serve. Although I received a ton of good submissions, many, many people who submitted to this story have become inactive and, to be honest, I haven't really seen them being active anywhere in the community. I want to write a story that is followed by people and I want to receive feedback. For those of you who stick around (and I know who you are, trust me) please do submit to my partial too. I am taking things into my own hands and it might end up biting me in the ass but what is life without risks, am I right? Probably not, but who cares :)**

 **Love you all so, so much and see you soon with District 5!**


	13. District 5: Valour and Dishonesty

**Shae Yoackim, 18, District Five**

* * *

 _Four months before the reapings:_

'I'm sorry, you were saying?' Shae starts to sweat. With one quick, unnoticed swipe across her face, she wipes away the moisture.

'You seem distracted, is everything alright?' the woman dressed in red scooches in, holding the microphone even closer to Shae's lips.

'No...no.' Shae thinks of a way to recover. 'My mind does that sometimes, y'know? Just drifting off…haha.' she brings out a forced laugh.

'Happens to everyone. No problem. I'll repeat the question: What was your first competition like?' the interviewer smiles, waiting excitedly for an answer like a dog getting ready to receive its treat. 'Dance competition to be specific,' she corrects herself. 'I know your family does all kinds of sports.'

'Haha, yeah… uh, it was an unforgettable experience. It really was.'

' _Don't lie to them, Shae. You're better than this,'_ she thinks to herself

'The crowd was so supportive and, yes, I know I didn't win but my parents were so proud of me and they told me that I'll do better next time.'

' _Proud of you? They didn't feed you for two days and locked you in your room...'_

'We all saw it. You were so brave back then on that stage all on your own. How did you do it?'

'I guess I just knew that no matter what, I'd still be loved and accepted so I didn't feel like there was anything to hold me back.'

'... and look at you now. You've kept that courage from back then and turned it into something special, haven't you? There are so many girls out there who aspire to become great dancers like you. Are there any words of encouragement?'

Shae has to think. It's not like she grew up getting words of encouragement.

Think.

Think.

Why was this question so hard?

'Uh… Believe in yourself.'

' _Really, Shae? That's the best you can do?'_

'Well, we'd like to thank you, Shae, for taking the time to sit and talk with us.' the woman turns back to the camera filming them. 'Next, we will talk to the other Yoackim siblings and get an insight into their lives.' the woman smiles. 'We'll be back soon.'

Once the camera switches off, the woman turns back to Shae. 'Thank you, again.'

'Yeah, no problem.' they shake hands and as Shae is about to step out, one of her siblings walks in for the next interview. It's Haze. There's a blank expression on his face because he knows what will happen when they all get back home. Shae knows it too. They all know it. May the best man or woman win.

Once home, the siblings are forced to line up in a row with their father slowly walking past each of them. This was it. The moment they've all been waiting for. Next to Shae, is Haze. He's a professional boxer as well as a marathon runner and professional climber. Next to Haze is Layalina, she's a professional singer and piano player. She also plays the harp as well as the violin and the guitar too. Then next to Layalina stands Sawyer. He's an artist and has many, many paintings spread around in art galleries all over District Five. One of the sculptures in Harlisten Park was also built by him. Lastly, at the end of the row, stands Nya. Nya is the youngest but also the feistiest out of the bunch. She's a professional volleyball and soccer player.

'We watched all of your interviews.' Shae's mother nods in the background. 'We have rated the quality of the interviews that all of you gave.'

Shae feels Haze shake beside her. 'The best interview came from…' Shae closes her eyes and pinches herself.

'Nya!'

Nya flicks her hair back.

'Nya, you showed charm, motivation, maturity, and the crowd loved you.' Nya cracks a small smile. 'For the next week, you will have priority over all your other siblings.'

She hates him. Shae hates her father so very much. Sometimes she imagined killing him, what that would feel like…

'Second place… Sawyer!' the crowd loved your wittiness and your humor and your interview was a delight.'

'Third place… Layalina. You were mature and professional but lacked emotion. Do something about your stoicism.'

Shit.

This was it.

'Fourth place, and thus escaping punishment by inches…' as horrible as it was, Shae was praying that it was her brother who came in last. This was survival of the fittest between them after all. There was no room for sympathy or empathy.

'...Shae.'

Thank god.

She hears Haze wincing next to her, perhaps even crying

'Shae, you were nice and that was about it. The rest was bland. If it weren't for your brother who messed up the way he did, you would have definitely come in last place.'

She escaped.

'Now, Haze, you stuttered, you were shaking, you were ununderstandable. What have we taught you? Nothing? You are an embarrassment. You don't deserve to have our name. You don't deserve to live in this house if I'm being quite frank.' Octavian grabbed his son from the row. 'You will have no food for the next two days. Your allowance will be taken away from you for the whole year, and you will have no access to the bathroom in this house until I change my mind.' He lets go of his son.

After everyone leaves the living room, Haze still lays there on the ground, sobbing. 'I… I have stage-fright, what can I do? It's different when I'm boxing because I have… a goal and I'm not focused on my surroundings.'

Shae looks at him with empathy. Maybe there was some room left for her to have empathy. She reserves this room for moments like these. Gently she rubs his back and kisses his head. 'I'll sneak some of my food to you, k?'

'T-thanks, Shae…'

Then, she too leaves the room. This was life for her. She did what she had to to survive and if that means faking her way through life, pretending to be this cheerful and charismatic leader than this is what she was going to do. But she's not a leader, she's not courageous, she's a coward. And that's a fact, and she knows it.

* * *

'Let's get right down to business.' their mentor, Tamari, falls onto the crimson red sofa in front of them. 'You guys can do it. You have this drive, this passion I haven't seen in any of my recent tributes and I truly think that one of you can be the victor of this Quell.'

Shae and Jackson look at each other and turn their attention back to their overly passionate mentor.

Shae can't help but roll her eyes internally as Tamari goes on and on about how she and Jackson are the 'chosen ones' this year. She must have given this speech to last year's Tribute's as well and look where they are now. Dead.

'Let's start with you.' she looks at Jackson, giving him an encouraging smile. 'What are your strengths, your weaknesses?

Jackson looks to the floor and starts to mumble. 'My name is Jackson and I'm 15-years-old. I'd say I'm pretty good at building...stuff.' he scratches his head as if unsure of what to say next. 'Stuff like traps, y'know? So I guess that could be useful,' he chuckles. 'I'm pretty bad at everything else.' he laughs again.

Traps. Interesting. He's awoken an interest in Shae. Perhaps they could be allies. Perhaps he can help her get further in this game. If it is true that this kid is an engineer then there are infinite possibilities of what he and Shae could do in the arena. The only thing left, is for Shae to wrap him around her finger.

She hates herself for doing it.

For being charming when she has to, for laughing when she doesn't want to. But it all doesn't matter because survival comes first. Survival will always come first. That is what her father taught her and as much as she hates him, it was true.

And so she smiles.

* * *

 **Jackson Stevenson, 15, District 5**

* * *

 _Nine months before the reapings:_

In about One minute the trap is going to go off, killing Jack's father in a glorious rain of acidic pain. It is going to be poetic, it was going to be fitting. Jack can't wait to hear the screams coming from upstairs. He's going to act all innocent. He's going to pretend to be just as disturbed as his sister and his mother and then when they all walk away crying, he's going to be smiling. Perhaps even laughing.

45 seconds…

Jack takes a step back and looks into the mirror. His disgustingly devious reflection is cackling back at him, watching him with its shadowy eyes. The same shadowy eyes that are going to stare down at his father when he lays lifeless in his coffin. 'Goodbye Father…' he whispers gently.

30 seconds…

'Jack, sweetie!' his mother calls. 'Could you help me with the dishes, please?' As much as Jack didn't want to go and help at this very moment, he had to. It would add another layer to his innocence when he'd be right by his mother in her early stages of shock and speechlessness once she'd discover her husband's corpse.

15 seconds…

'Hey, mom. Have you seen dad? I need to talk to him about something important,' Jack lies. He's setting up his innocence, his cluelessness. It is the only thing that is going to save him when things get dirty.

10 seconds…

'Yes, he should be upstairs. I really do need help with the dishes though so I'll need you to tell him whatever you wanted to tell him a little bit later, okay?'

There was not going to be a later.

5 seconds…

'Of course, mom.'

He grabs a plate from the sink and places it carefully in the dishwasher.

Now. Zero seconds.

The walls start to vibrate a bit and there is a slight buzzing sound in the back. The anticipation is unbearable. It's so tempting for Jack to go up there and see the glory unfold in front of his soulless eyes but he has to stay below for now.

Here it comes, the scream. His sister's scream.

Jack's blood goes cold. A certain bitterness fills his throat as a shiver slithers down his spine. He stands there like a stone statue. Why is his sister screaming? His father is supposed to be the one in pain.

'Kaya, what's wrong?!' Jack's mother lets the plate shatter on the ground as she hectically runs upstairs. Jack, still unable to move, hears his father scream. It is not a scream of physical pain, it is a scream of emotional pain. It couldn't be…

'Oh my god, KAYA! Call an ambulance, George! CALL AN AMBULANCE!'

Jack sees his father come downstairs, tears filling his eyes. He doesn't even look at Jack as he passes him by and heads for the phone. Frantically, he types in a number and starts stuttering. 'Y-yes there's been an a-accident. Our… our daughter's skin is melted off. You need to come, please!'

Melted off…

No. It can't be. He did everything right. He couldn't have mixed up the wires. But it had to be. In the rush of excitement, his fingers might have slipped here and there a little and instead of hitting his father, the trap hit his sister. No, it couldn't be. He loved, no, loves his sister. He hates his father. His father has to be in pain, not his her.

When he reaches the upstairs floor and enters his sister's room with his mother lying on the ground trying to calm her down as she moans quietly and twitches a little bit, his heart sinks. He can tell that the ceiling and the rug below have been burnt. It was his trap that killed her. His trap. He sobs.

'Kaya, no…' his bottom lip quivers. He can't even look at her. 'I didn't… I didn't...' he gasps for air. 'I didn't w-want... NO!'

Jack storms outside and covers his ears, trying to block out everything. He doesn't want to hear his sister's suffering, he doesn't want to hear his mother's cries, and he doesn't want to hear his father's shouts.

* * *

By her muscular legs and arms, Jack can tell that his District partner is definitely an athlete. He might have just found his golden ticket.

'Do you do a lot of sports?' he asks her after a small, interluding silence. She turns her head from the window.

'Yeah, I'm a dancer. I do other things too but mostly that.'

A dancer, that's useful. That's very useful. She could definitely make up for what he lacks in brawn.

'That's really cool,' he replies. The silence sneaks its way into the conversation. 'I wanted to ask if-'

'Yes,' she interrupts. 'Oh my god, I'm so sorry.' her face goes red. 'Please tell me that you wanted to ask if I'd like to ally with you…' she glances at the floor like a toddler.

Initially, he was going to ask her if she wanted tea. He was going to butter her up a little bit before proposing an alliance. He didn't want to be hasty or she might have been turned off by the idea, however, it seems like this girl is more than willing to ally with him. A little too willing if he had to be honest but he won't make anything of it. Not now.

'That's exactly what I wanted to ask,' he confesses.

'I'd love to.' she smiles.

Things couldn't be starting off better. He's not even been reaped two hours ago and he's already got a strong ally who will hopefully prove to be capable enough for Jack to use. He'll make her think their friends, maybe he'll even pretend to fall in love with her, and then when there is no use for her anymore and he feels confident enough to stand on his own two feet, he'll put a knife in her back and take it solo from there.

Time to shake things up a little.

* * *

 **Hyiaa! So we're back with District Five. In this chapter we met Shae and Jackson and can I just say, I love the fact that they are both manipulating each other, thinking that the other has no clue of what is going on. I already know where I'm taking things with these two. It's gonna be fun, as always.**

 **Two more reapings left, woohoo! Don't know which I'll do next. It'll probably be District Ten. I'll see.**

 **On another note: Subs for my Partial are still open! I'm still looking for a ton of submissions since I am hoping to have a variety of tributes to choose from. After releasing my next prologue which I'll upload some time next week, I'll close some spots where I feel like I have what I'm looking for so people can focus on submitting to the other spots.**

 **I'll see everyone next time, then! Farewell!**


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